It’s time for the most expensive, tempting comment thread, where we ask what you’re reading, talk about what we’re enjoying, and then we all buy a book or six because temptation.
Ready? Ok, we’ll wait.
Ready now? Ok!
Sarah: I’m speaking at Duke University (inside Sarah: OMGSNORTWHEEZE) on Monday at the Unsuitable Event Series about female sexuality in romance, and the students who will be there will have recently read Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale.
RedHeadedGirl: Oh Jesus.
Carrie: I adore that book. Cried like a baby.
Sarah: I’ve read it before. I knew what I was getting into.
I have already read this book. TWICE.
I should be able to have WORDS.
And not just gaping-fish-mouth-arm-waving gestures.
And yet, here I am.
There’s one scene that get me every time, when Jervaulx is talking to a group of men about a plot to harm Maddy?
And they all start echoing Jervaulx’s manner of speech in the dialogue?
It’s just….
So, yeah. That’s what I’ve been reading.
You know how, in a historical, if one of the characters is hung over, the cook or the valet or the valet AND the cook have some magical tisane or home remedy and it’s always foul smelling and nasty tasting and some very unnatural color like puce and magenta swirled in a glass and whoever has the hangover holds their noses and drinks it and two pages later they’re totally fine and shopping or skipping through a garden or banging someone on a desk or against the bookcase or something?
There should be a hangover remedy that strong JUST FOR THIS BOOK.
RedHeadedGirl:
I’m about done with In Bed with a Rogue by Samantha Grace( A | BN | K | G | AB ), and just finished His Wicked Reputation ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) which were both perfect beach reads. I did a science.
I am also finally starting Louisa May Alcott’s A Long Fatal Love Chase, which is basically a Jane Eyre AU where she did marry Rochester before finding out about the mad wife.
Elyse:
I’m reading Dead Wake by Erik Larson ( A | K | G | AB | Au ) and it’s really good. I’m listening to it actually.
Also reading The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Schupe which is delightfully crazy.
And I’m reading Dress to Impress Knitted Scarves ( A | K | G | AB | Scribd ).
Carrie:
I’m reading Liar, Temptress, Soldier,Spy. Fabulous non fiction, review pending. I also just finished Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.
Also I spent today binging on Girl Genius ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
Amanda:
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit and it is FABULOUS.
I’m also reading Mercy by HelenKay Dimon ( A | K | G | AB ), prompted by Elyse’s recent podcast with you and HelenKay Dimon. I’ve been on an erotica/romantic suspense kick, and it hooked me from the first chapter. We’ll see how the rest pans out.
Carrie:
I’m about to finish Turn Coat by Jim Butcher and start Changes ( A | K | G | AB | Au ). Have been informed that I’ll need tissues, chocolate, possibly a kitten, puppy, baby hedgehog….
Elyse:
I’m not going to lie, I sobbed like a fucking baby at the end of Changes. But I’m here for you, Carrie.
Carrie:
Goddammit you got me into this series and now it’s gonna destroy me, isn’t it?
Elyse:
Yup.
So what about you? What are you enjoying this month? Anything you’ve been loving, or think someone might want to avoid? Whatcha reading?
Shopping note:
After a Whatcha Reading? discussion, Lisa M emailed me to ask if I could link the books mentioned in the comments to the various retailers to make shopping a little easier. I wish I could! But alas, that isn’t possible.
However, I can drop some retailer links for you right here, so that if you feel like shopping, you can select your preferred retailer. Some of these links are affiliate-enabled, and SBTB receives a percentage commission from purchases made. If you use them, many thanks. If you don’t want to us them, no worries, mate! (And if your preferred retailer isn’t here, let me know and I’ll add it for you if I can!)
Remember back in the day, in a DBSA interview, Renée Raudman mentioned Jane Peart’s Brides of Montclair series? I read the first two (they were a dollar each on Kindle and I was curious) and enjoyed them quite a bit in that nostalgic I-used-to-borrow-such-books-from-my-friends’-mothers way. I can recommend them at that price—quick old skool reads, light on the inspy (just some Scripture and praying and life choices) that felt appropriate to the time period. (Yeah, slavery is never mentioned, just the house servants’ dark skin color.) Also, the heroes do a day’s work—though more in an “overseeing of” than “toiling” category. (What, are my modern sensibilities showing? Sorry.) On that note, I preferred the Valiant Bride hero—older, building a house and legacy to last generations, though unfortunately quick to anger and slow to forgive—to his son, the hero of Ransomed Bride, young and used to always getting his way. YMMV.
i am currently working my way through the Kate Daniels series, and am on book 3, Magic Strikes. I am enjoying it a lot. I have had the first 6 or so for a while (I think I bought them all at the same time when they were all on sale), but my TBR pile was huge, and they just floated to the top. I really am enjoying how Kate just always tries to do the right thing, even if it isn’t always the smartest thing to do.
I am really excited that I just got an email that my copy of Pioneer Girl: An Annotated Biography has just shipped. This is a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder that was printed by a small academic press that was surprised by its popularity, and did not print enough copies. I ordered this just after Christmas, and have been waiting ever since. I cannot wait to start reading it, so I might be reading about Laura and Kate at the same time!
I’m reading and enjoying The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy. There needs to be more fantasy romance out there.
I also finished Hawkeye vs. Deadpool by Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, and Jacopo Camagni, which was a fun team-up for the characters.
So, I did quite a bit of reading this month and it was a mixed bag. I read most of Robyn DeHart’s Forbidden Love series, which was kind of disappointing to be honest. The first two books were okay and the last one had so many gar issues that I couldn’t finish it
I also read a children novel called Monstrous,which was excellent. The plot follows Kymera, a chimera who was created to save a town’s girls from a evil wizard who kidnaps and does horrible experiments on them. As her life goes on and she meets a boy named Ren,what she thought she knew proves untrue and that’s all I’m gonna say because the plot is a very spoilery one. Essentially the story is gothic horror for kids and did I mention awesome ?
Lastly I started a steampunk romance series called The Dragonblood Chronicles. So far I’ve read the first one which was interesting enough, just not anything new really.
Just finished Haunted, a paranormal romance novella by Christina C. Jones. Also just read Strictly Professional (contemp African American Romance) and the followup Unfinished Business.
Also recently finished Lori Foster Holding Strong *yummy fighter dudes* and Piper Huguley’s The Mayor’s Mission which started off as African American Historical Romance but as the series continues are becoming more Historical Fiction– set in the south just after the slaves were freed.
I’ve been trying to read more diverse romances in the past couple months. Recently finished His Road Home (Anna Richland), which I really enjoyed. Before that I read The Lawyer’s Luck (Piper Huguley), Destiny’s Embrace (Beverly Jenkins), and The Bollywood Affair (Sonali Dev). Not sure what to read next. Maybe I’ll try my first Harlequin Presents? I have a feeling HPs won’t work for me though…
I just finished The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan and am going to start Prudence shortly. I know that everyone hated it, but my generically signed copy came in the mail yesterday and I’m super excited.
I’m also reading Emma Wildes’ Confessions of a Scarlet Lady, but only when I go to the Y after work a few days a week.
@Carrie, I read Around the World in 80 Days last summer. How did you like it?
I’m currently reading Madeline Hunter’s His Wicked Reputation for my historical craving. I’ve just started so I don’t have a feel for it.
I took the Bitches up on Rock Hard by Nalini Singh. It opens well, but the repeated conflict of mouse vs. T-Rex goes from amusing to sigh, here we are again. The terrible thing is terrible but it never rips tears from me. I also read This Crumbling Pageant after a negative reader comment. With that rant and another’s comment that “This is NOT a romance,” I was prepared for an intense fantasy about love, honor, hate, evil, and power. It is complex because good characters become very 3 dimensional and evil characters have reasons. I found it sucked me in, and I really didn’t want it to end because I wanted to believe that the prophecy will be wrong. More please! And there was Of Silk and Steam which wrapped up the series with plenty of fireworks.
I loved True Pretenses with its anti-hero. I am not a fan of grifters, even reformed ones. I prefer my rakes, but this was all about the hero and heroine’s discovery of what they want in life and how their current lives didn’t satisfy.
I began the month with the 2nd volume in Orson Scott Card’s The Gate Thief in his Mither Mages. It’s a wonder mishmash of a teenager coming of age (a common Card theme), magic, and ancient gods as humans. Again, I want volume three which if he sticks to the schedule will be out in September.
I just finished Sarina Bowen’s gravity series. Liked it but not as much as her other series. Next up is LH Cosway’s Six of Hearts. I have heard so many great things about this author so I thought I would give that book a try.
Just finished Shades of Milk & Honey (on Scribd). It was a most satisfying read, but in my head it was narrated in the voices of the major characters from BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, which added an interesting layer to the glamour in the book. Started the Deborah Harkness All Soul’s Trilogy — outstanding! — but now I’m waiting impatiently for book 2 from the library. Also from Scribd, read a couple of older Carla Kellys. Have the new Ilona Andrews’ book queued up. An excellent reading week all told!
Lucky that my copy of Flowers in the Storm is still sitting handily on my nightstand, isn’t it? Because now I’ll have to reread it having been reminded of the feels.
Speaking of feels, I just finished a reread of Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan. It is such a good book. My favorite in the series.
Also knocked the latest Crossfire book of the tbr pile. What a surprise, there’s going to be yet another book, and I’m actually pretty happy about it. I feel like she’s hit her stride with this on and Gideon, at least, is actually going to deal with his issues. Also, I realized one of the reasons I’m still into this series when the whole damaged millionaire trope doesn’t really work for me is that the main characters don’t live in a romance vacuum. You know, where they only interact with each other? Gideon and Eva have relationships with friends and family that take up substantial parts of the book. They go out on a friends date so that each others’ friends can get to know each other. Like real sorts of people do.
I’m currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. I’m only in the first 100 pages and I am LOVING it. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s the story of an astronaut stranded on Mars McGyvering his continued existence. Aside from really cool science stuff there’s moments like this:
“Teddy swiveled his chair and looked out the window to the sky beyond. Night was edging in. ‘What must it be like?’ he pondered. ‘He’s suck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?’
He turned back to Venkat. ‘I wonder what he’s thinking right now.’
LOG ENTRY: SOL 61
How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
So, lots of tension, a touch of humor and science. Yummy good science.
I read very fast, and was in the hospital with nothing else to do for a while, (because I know how fast I read, I always bring a ton of books with me when I might go to the hospital) so…
I read the Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine, from Ill Wind to Cape Storm. I liked it. Not excessively, but reading them all at once was actually nice as I got to see how Joanne’s life changes. I think my favorite one (so far) was Chill Factor. Joanne, trying to live as a normal human and not doing so well…
Afterwards< i read "Unknown", the Second book in Rachel Caine's "Outcast season" series. No, I didn't read the first, but the second one was pretty interesting. I really liked it.
I also read "Dreaming Spies" by Laurie E. King, about the trip to San Francisco that happened before Mary Russell dealt with her memories of her mother and father and how they died. Russell and Holmes are taking a boat to SIngapore and Holmes is interested in one of the other passengers, a known blackmailer, who he decides to watch over rather obsessively. Russell, meanwhile, meets a young Japanese girl who is returning home to her family after being educated abroad, and their friendship ends in them aiding her family to defend the Japanese Emperor from a plot on his life. Afterwards, some time later and back in England, the girl returns, trying to retrieve a special book given away by the Emperor that is too valuable to be let out of Japan… I loved the detail in this one, and the ending. Laurie King isn't afraid to go in quite a different direction with villains, to be sure…
Mangaman by Barry Lyga and Colleen Doran tells the story of Ryoko Kiyama, who has come into the Western Comics universe from a Manga universe through a rip in dimensions that left him stranded. Taken into custody by the military, he is hiding out at a base until they can find him a way to return home. Plus, monsters called Kaiju are coming into the world from the rip, and Ryoko fights them. But when he's convinced to attend the "Home Going" dance at the local school, Ryoko meets and falls in love with Marissa Montaigne, a beautiful girl who seems intrigued by this extremely strange stranger in their midst, and it's pretty much love at first sight for Ryoko (Marissa attends Home Going in a kimono). But the other kids at High School are shocked and irritated by him, especially Marissa's ex, who wants her back. But even though Riyko's Sweatdrops and action lines are left behind for the janitor to clean up, the two of them connect and Ryoko discovers how to travel between the panels, and reaches Marissa to do the same. But when Marissa thinks Ryoko might have left to go home, she doesn't want to lose him and throws herself into the rift before it can be closed forever by the military… and Ryoko must follow… I loved this book. It poked gentle fun at anime conventions and the love story between Marissa and Ryoko felt genuine. But the world that Ryoko comes from is generic Anime, a mash-up of every anime cliché ever (he pilots a giant mecha, and his girlfriend is/was a magical girl who had a locket which could allow her to change into anyone. She used it to change into a boy, and the locket got smashed, leaving her stuck that way…) It was funny and romantic at times, and it just made me smile.
Castaway Planet by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor is about a half-Japanese, half-western family who is left behind by an accident on the colony ship they are traveling on and have to look for a planet to survive on until rescue comes. With them is "Whips" an intelligent "Bemmie" whose ancestors are from Europa and who is friends with Sakura, the fourteen year old daughter of the mother as physician and father as biologist. Early on, their ship is lost, and from then on, it becomes the Swiss Family Robinson in Space. I was expecting a bit more action when I picked this up, but it's actually very good. I would love to read more about the characters, but it's part of a series and they may not show up again in other books. But I would like to read more about the characters.
"Once More My Darling Rogue" by Lorraine Heath is an amnesia story. The hero is an ennobled commoner, the heroine a scornful member of the ton who disdains him, so when she is kidnapped from her home and tossed in the Thames, the hero finds her and finds she has lost her memory. Instead of helping her right away, he decides to take his revenge by making her work as his housekeeper for a day, but he doesn't want to admit what he did and she ends up working for him for some time. When she finally regains her memory, as expected, she hates him. But when she needs his help, she has to decide if she can take the risk of trusting him. The hero was kind of an ass, and looked weak when he couldn't admit he'd done the deed about keeping her as his housekeeper, yet I felt the book was just "Okay".
The Once and Future Duchess by Sophia Nash has a hero and heroine who have ordered to find spouses by Prinny after he gets a bee in his bonnet. The heroine has long loved the hero, but he turns her down cold, because he doesn't think he is capable of loving anyone the way she deserves to be loved. So they agree to "Vet" suitors for each other, and the hero can't find a man he approves of and could stomach marrying the heroine… Can she trust him with her heart again? This one I liked a lot better. I loved how the Hero is blindsided by his feelings, and it's up to the heroine to have to basically push it in his face and get him to admit it. Definitely recommended.
Night Shift is a short story collection by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Milla Vane and Lisa Shearin. The Singh story is set in her Psy-Shifter universe, the Andrews story is set in her Kate Daniels universe, starring a female White Tiger mage in love with Jim Shropshire, leader of Clan Cat, The Shearin Story sets up a whole new universe with the main character being a seer from the Deep South who takes a job in New York City and must track a Leprechaun Prince lost after his bachelor party, and the Vane story is a fantasy universe with a warrior woman, a disaffected male mercenary and an evil mage to be overcome. It sounds cliché, but it isn't. I loved all the stories, and my favorite was by Lisa Shearin in this volume.
I read the first two in the Devon Monk Allison Beckstorm series. Allie is a Hound, someone who can use magic to track other magic users by their magic signature. But magic exacts a price on those who use it. Bad mages "offload" this price onto the innocent, and Allie can track them when they do. But an encounter with a former criminal unlocks magic which floods Alliy's body and allows her to use magic in a way no other mage can. This puts her in a new kind of danger. So far, I enjoyed the series, but I only read the first two books. However, I'm not that enthralled with the story.
Right now, I am reading Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. The last in her "Others/Terra Indigene" series about Meg, a Cassandra Sangue who comes to work for the others in a place in the Midwest called Lakeside Terrace. Meg was one of many seers, but escaped her captors and was taken in by the Terra Indigene who control most of "Thasia" aka America. The humans want more land, but the Terra Indigene (which include Werecreatures, Vampires and even worse sorts of what we call "monsters" are unwilling to just stand aside and die. Meg may be human, but she doesn't feel like Prey, and the Terra Indigene have freed the seers from those who controlled them. But the seers are dying, and Meg must find a way to save them by letting others in on how to survive outside of their tightly controlled former prisons… And the humans are agitating for a war with the Terra Indigene from Europa and Thasia, which can only result in death for the humans…. So far, it's been excellent.
I also started reading "The Witch With No Name" by Kim Harrison. Good so far, I'd just started reading when I got "Vision in Silver".
I’ve been going through some sort of partial reading slump. No matter how fascinating a book is, if I’m forced to put it down/pause my reading (or listening) for any reason, it’s just that much more difficult to get back into it. No matter that I’m enjoying it and want to know what happens next. Not to mention, I have three new-to-me audiobooks with DRAGONS in them waiting for a listen, and I’m all meh. This is serious, indeed.
My triumphs of reading (as in, I finished what I started and loved it) have been Patty Briggs’ Dead Heat, Anne Bishop’s Vision in Silver (audiobook, I listened again the following week), and Nalini Singh’s Rock Hard—which I loved so much that I went back and reread the whole series.
Okay, I checked with GR and apparently, things aren’t actually as bleak as they seem to me this afternoon. I’ve read a lot more than I remember off the top of my head: I reread the Richard and Rose series by Lynne Connolly (love love love!), 1-clicked and read Robin McKinley’s Deerskin (disturbing, but so good), and 1-clicked and read Edie Harris’s Blamed (intense, enjoyed it a lot).
I was contemplating rereading another favorite series, but perhaps I’ll try something new by a favorite author (from my TBR, hopefully). Or whatever I’m in the mood for.
Since I featured her on my Boosting the Signal column on my site, I just finally read fellow Carina author Sheryl Nantus’ SFR In the Black. VERY much liked that. 🙂 The Firefly influence was strong, and for me, it was the perfect blend of science fiction, romance, and murder mystery. Surprisingly, given that the action takes place on board a Mercy ship (full of courtesans!), there is actually no on-camera sex, just plenty of innuendo. But that’s actually perfect for my reading tastes. Now I’m working on reading Book 2 of the same series, In the Void.
AND I’m working on my second Trilingual Reread, this time of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone!
AND OH GOD Changes. That book was brutal. *sniff*
I read The Martian by Andy Weir. I loved this book so much that I have been accosting strangers to tell them to buy it and giving it to people as birthday presents. I’m pushy that way. It’s pretty damn thrilling and funny too. Now, I’m cheating on my books (not normally a double reader) with The Ripper by Lexi Blake (too early in to say much about it) and Married to the Bad Boy by Vanessa Waltz (fast read with steamy hot sex and a mafia alpha hero, but lots of domestic violence triggers – however, I’m actually enjoying reading it not hate reading it).
Romance-wise, all I’m reading right now is She’s Gotta Be Mine by Jennifer Skully. Forty-year old heroine who decides to reinvent herself after her husband leaves her for his high school sweetheart, so she can rub his nose in what he’s missing. Some aspects rub me the wrong way, but the writing is fun and makes me think of Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie.
After that, I’ll be reading Saronna’s Gift, Carmen Webster Buxton’s first sci-fi romance. I’m excited. 🙂
I just finished listening to Frank Herbert’s Dune, which was a decent book but bizarre audiobook. I don’t know who decided to make it partially single-reader, partially full-cast, but their decision sucked. It was like listening to two shuffled together audio editions, and it made it so hard to keep track of who was who.
I’m about to finish Another by Yukito Ayatsuji, the book the anime is based on. It’s horror about a cursed middle school class. Unfortunately, I enjoyed the anime more than the book.
This week I finished Soaring (fabulous); then I read When I Fall (J. Daniels) which is a series so I finished the entire series working backwards as well. It was quite good.
Now I’m reading Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh. I read Slave to Sensation and although I didn’t like the paranormal (that’s why I’ve never read anything by this author before) I really liked the romantic part, the relationship and the erotic vibes of the story.
So whereas I know I will not read more of her paranormals, I decided to give her contemporaries a shot.
Rock Addiction was good enough to keep me interested in her.
Rock Courtship? I’m loving it! It’s sexy, funny and very emotional in some moments.
And they’ve told me the third story (2nd book) is even better! So that’s what I’m going to read next.
I went on a bit a buying spree after I submitted my picks for dabwaha. So far, I’ve read Salvation by Noelle Adams, Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry and The Hookup by Kirsten Callihan.
I think Sarah Mayberry is one of those authors that just doesn’t work for me. I keep trying her books because she is so popular, but I usually feel a little bored by how ordinary her characters are. This book was no different.
Salvation was my first first time reading a book by Noelle Adams and I would definitely read more from her. I really felt for the heroine went through and the hero was wonderful. He had the best qualities of an Alpha hero and none of the jerkwad ones.
The Hook Up was also a pretty decent read. It sticks to some pretty familiar NA tropes, but there was a slight twist at the end that I haven’t seen too many times. I’m definitely reading the next book in the series. Also, I took the fact that there was a throwaway character called Garrity in a Football romance as a total Friday Night Lights shout out.
Speaking of sports romances, I have this issue. I’m a hockey fanatic. Fan does not even begin to cover it. So in theory I should be the target audience for hockey romances, right? NOPE. They usually make me want to throw my kindle across the room. Are there any other sports fans out there or is it just me?
(The Deal caused me to spend a lot of time on twitter ranting about how the NHL draft actually works).
I’m reading “In Too Deep” by Jayne Ann Krentz at the moment on audio, for my 45 min one way commute (I live in the bay area!!) and it is just…..something special. I don’t know what I expected having read a few of her other ones, which were not so bad. The actual story is shaky to say the least and the voice acting is not something I’m in love with. The main male character sounds like a high pitched kermit the frog!
The one I’m reading at night, paperback version – because paper feels so good – , is Lisa Kleypas’ “Mine Til Midnight”, which I’m loving because Kleypas can do no wrong. 🙂
I’m currently moving through L.H. Cosway’s repertoire and I have to say she’s amazing. She is an independent Author with a fabulous imagination. Her Romances are incredibly unique. I may have fallen in love with a straight drag queen, a fire breather circus performer, and an illusionist all within the past week. I really can’t recommend her titles enough!
Thanks for the recs ladies!
@ms bookjunkie I’ve been going through a bit of a reading slump, too. I’ve read a bunch of books I thought were pretty good, but it’s hard to get myself to actually pick up a book and I don’t enjoy reading as much. Maybe I should just stop reading for a few days (oh, the horror!) or reread a favourite.
Just started The Highest Price to Pay (Maisey Yates).
I’m reading Dead Wake, too! Larson is coming to a neighborhood bookstore for a reading next week and I wanted to be prepared.
I’ve been kinda on a nonfiction kick this month and my favorite read so far has been The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones (read his book The Plantagenets last month, also a favorite). I kinda did this stupid thing though where I went and checked out Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
And People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo–and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up by Richard Llyod Parry from the library AT THE SAME TIME and man, these next three weeks are gonna be a downer!
I plan to break up the sadness by reading Terry Pratchett’s Guards! Guards! and Sonali Dev’s A Bollywood at some point.
Lastly, the news that some people hated Prudence (if the Gail Carriger book is what’s being referenced) has saddened me. I haven’t read it yet but I was so excited to! Now, I’m wary 🙁
Just finished Vision in Silver – at 3:00 this morning. Kind of really regretting the late night (my preschooler woke me at 7:30) but enjoyed the book a lot. Maybe I am just tired but I am so bummed this morning at the thought that it will be a long wait for the next book. I read the Black Jewels books after the whole series was published which strikes me right now as a great way to do it. 🙂
Next . . . No idea. The Martian sounds like a fun read.
Last weekend I read the three stories in Nalini Singh’s Rock Kiss series. I really enjoyed them and can’t wait until the next one comes out. I haven’t read her angel series, but I’m thinking it might be time since I love the Psy/Changeling books, too.
This weekend I am rereading Monette Michaels’ Prime series.
I’m not sure what’s up after I finish these books, but I have some new ones and a bunch of books I bought this week while the Avon books were so cheap and they might be calling my name.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is one of those hoopla-big-promo books. My first genre love was Science Fiction, so I try to keep up with forerunners in that category. ESJMandel knows how to write. But. But she’ll do better to focus on what she’s actually writing about.
One of the things I love about romantic fiction is the intense focus on connection between characters. Station Eleven is a dystopian sketch of life on earth after a pandemic, where the past of uninteresting characters is given far more examination than the practical and emotional needs of specific survivors. The most interesting moments of the novel came in the final pages, and that glimmer of interest came far too late to make the novel more than yet another cure for insomnia.
I’ve been trying out Kindle Unlimited to see if it’s worth the money. So far, so good. I’ve discovered Alexandra Sokoloff, who has a couple of interesting ghostie/paranormal novels that were far above average entries into the genre. What I particularly liked about “The Harrowing” was Sokoloff’s description of main character Robin’s emotional and psychological state going into the story. It’s an honest, in-depth, unapologetic description of marginalized unhappiness that doesn’t prevent the character from setting aside her baggage when faced with the horrible. “The Unseen” was also an interesting entry in the genre.
I’m trying to get out of a bad reading slump.
I just started rereading Man of My Dreams, by Johanna Lindsey (Hero has an “appendage of procreation.” No, really.)
I took advantage of the Scribd coupon so have been going crazy with reading. And avoiding housework. I just finished How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, a fun read about her growing up. I also read Bitter Kingdom, which I had been dragging my feet on paying for. It was very good and a great ending to the series. My 12 yo grandson has now started Girl of Fire and Thorns on my recommendation and is enjoying it. Also read Teresa Grant’s Berkeley Square Affair – she continues to do a great job with history and with the relationship – I have loved all of her books so thanks to the Bitchery for the original recommendation. Not sure what I am reading next – so many choices – but I am sure this thread will have suggestions.
I am feeling reading-slumpy, unfortunately, and keep trying things and then feeling grouchy and dissatisfied! The curse of too many options at my fingertips, perhaps?
Currently reading “The Leopard Prince”, by Elizabeth Hoyt, a Georgian-set story about an aristocratic lady who falls in love with her low-born (but, you know, hunky and capable and kinda brooding) land steward. Cross-class romances are catnip for me, and I love many more of Hoyt’s books than not (including the other books in this series) but this is disappointing me. I love the characters, and there’s a surprisingly interesting mystery playing in the background, but there’s not that much push-pull between the hero and the heroine. When I hear “aristocrat and her land steward”, I imagine lots of resisting the inevitable, guilty staring when the other isn’t looking, self-recrimination, etc. But that’s not really the case here. The romantic stakes feel quite low, in fact, and although initially people claim to be scandalized by the mere idea of an earl’s daughter and a common land steward, nobody really makes good on that idea, which felt anachronistic to me. Even if people in the mid-17th century were more relaxed about unmarried women having affairs, would they really be so relaxed that her affair is with a commoner? It’s probably a better fit for someone who likes a lot less push-pull, “I must leave you for your own good, dammit!” than Some Of Us.
Also reading “That Scandalous Evening”, by Christina Dodd, which is the first in what’s apparently a series about “governess brides”. I picked this up because it features a 29-year-old heroine whose Season a decade ago ended in shame and scandal when she sculpted a piece based on her muse, a handsome marquess. I love historicals that feature ladies who are fine artists, scientists, authors, etc., and are genuinely driven to these things, not dabblers, so I thought for sure this was going to be my jam! It turns out probably not to be for me, although I guess I’ll give it another go. I find the characterization sort of shallow and glib, I’m being informed that the hero feels X, but I don’t actually feel that from the text.
I’m also reading “Rough Surrender” by Cari Silverwood. It’s historical (Europeans in 1910s Egypt) BDSM erotica, but because of my “ladies with intense passions” problem, the real reason I’m reading this is because the heroine is a pilot who has come to Egypt to participate in an aviation event, and she’s obsessed with flying and with her plane and resists the hero because she thinks he’ll try to control her and not let her fly. Seriously… geez, I hadn’t realized until just now how much this is my catnip, obsessed historical ladies who are still ladies of their time (no anachronistic casual trousers please and thank you). This is pretty good. I like that the hero has these BDSM proclivities, but has only ever done them with paid professionals, and as far as he knows, there are no “normal women” (ie women you could marry) who are into this sort of thing, which makes him suspect that maybe there’s something wrong with him. So he has this core of vulnerability, he’s really the person who is more-aggressively pursuing some kind of emotional commitment, and she is the person who is more-aggressively pursuing her freedom, which is an interesting dynamic. Downside, the author seems obsessed with the fact that the hero is bald and brings it up a lot, which always kind of throws me out of the book. Making out, making out, then the heroine notices again that he’s bald and how great it is that he’s bald. (And, I think I basically wish for “historical BDSM romance”, not erotica, because I’d like more flying and descriptions of Cairo, and more flirtation and resistance, and maybe saving the bondage for later or something. But I’m not sure this imaginary genre actually exists!)
I recently read (and quite liked) the Kresley Cole contemporary erotica “The Professional”, which is about a young woman who finds out that she’s the long-lost daughter of a Russian crime boss when a super-hunky dude kidnaps her, basically. It’s pretty ridiculous and outlandish, but, and I’m not fully clear on why, it worked pretty well. I zipped right through it. THEN I thought “Maybe I should try some of these Kresley Cole books about Immortals After Dark, maybe I really like her work?”
Now I am reading “A Hunger Like No Other”, and concluding that maybe the Immortals series is not for me. Hero is a werewolf king, heroine is half-vampire, he escapes from torture because he senses her nearby (in this universe, handsome men all have secret countdowns to their fated mates). Then… kind of… nothing happens. There’s a lot of driving and mild arguing. There’s some stuff about her father or whatever that I skimmed because it was inexplicably dull. I periodically try some paranormal stuff, and over and over I conclude that I just don’t like the central stylistic elements of paranormals: for one thing (I recently disliked very intensely that Anne Bishop series starter Written in Red/Blood that everyone but me loves) they seem to really like a lot of talkiness about extremely minor issues (even though the premise makes it sound like the stakes will be very high) and explanations of the minute details of how people know each other and who likes who. Huge casts, and then lots of time spent drawing word diagrams to explain relationships that set up further books. Which is apparently my anti-catnip.
I’m re-reading a Jo Goodman book (If His Kiss Is Wicked) that gives me mild mixed feelings. I think that Goodman is a great writer, and yet I’ve had similar mixed feelings about everything I’ve read by her: her style is more like a movie than like a typical novel. You often lack internal information about what the character is thinking or feeling or even doing, so that at the end it turns out that he was in love the whole time. Or that she is secretly a great artist (hello, catnip) and has been for years. Or whatever. And I… kind of like that, but also kind of don’t, because it feels like it takes away some enjoyment I could be having the whole time and saves it for a reveal at the end.
I’ve been reading (but I think I’m ready to call it) “Rise: a Rock Solid Romance” by Karina Bliss after seeing it here. I think I should maybe also admit that I don’t really like rock romances. This book is well-written, but everything feels really perfect in the exact way that bothers me. The hero sounded like he was going to be a raging jerk (awesome! jerk to pathetic is always enjoyable) but… he isn’t. He’s pretty self-aware and grown-up: he makes bad choices, but he has good reasons for making those “bad choices”, so… not really jerk material exactly. The book says that there’s a lot of public anger about how he broke up his band, but on the page, it’s more like everybody loves him. He has a housekeeper/cook who is a Wise Latina who looooooves him in a motherly way and speaks Spanglish in the way seemingly typical exclusively to characters in books. The heroine is that mix of real-life lady traits that do not (in real life) typically seem hyper-attractive to rock stars, but in books often are because she’s just so different than all other women, perhaps. Which is fine, but I would like to feel more clearly how and why that is in this case – which I do not. (It gives me vague Mary Sue anxiety. She’s an academic biographer, but like a star biographer, with fans! Fans like rock stars. Except that then I want to really FEEL that the rock star’s private self loves to read biographies, and I want to really feel that the heroine is a genius biographer who would give him sexy feelings because she’s so smart and insightful… and I don’t.) And I think maybe because I myself listen to indie music and weird Swedish electronica, it’s hard for me to imagine the male lead as attractive. Whenever there are sequences describing his hair or open silk shirt or many, many silver rings, I feel tense. I sort of wish I could think of an attractive real life musician to imagine as this character, because I actually really love stories about unlikely intellectual romance, you know?
I also tried this month to read two Alice Clayton books, “Unidentified Redhead” first and later “Wallbanger”. Wallbanger has what I think is a fun premise (heroine moves into a new apartment and discovers that the neighbor who shares her bedroom wall is a hardcore tomcat, then becomes obsessed with him) and is kinda funny, but just way too turned-up-to-11 with the slapstick and the froth for me, so I called it pretty soon. “Unidentified Redhead” was so bananas I read large chunks of it out loud to my husband, then quit. The premise is that the heroine, early 30s, tried to be an actress years ago and washed out. Now she has reinvented herself for one last try, and she’s back in LA staying with her fancy manager friend when she meets one of her friend’s clients, a mid-20s English dude on the verge of stardom. (A lot of reviews of this book are like “This book is about the writer’s fantasy about Robert Pattinson”, which I thought sounded mean and unlikely. But on the page, it seems much less unlikely.) So that basic premise makes me imagine a bunch of things. Like, the heroine is presumably very intense about how this is her last shot. The stakes feel high, right? This is her last chance to realize her dreams! And the romance is presumably full of great things about the age difference, the weirdness of dating someone famous, etc. Is what I thought. Except that’s not what this book is about at all. I don’t really have the right words to describe how this book is instead – it’s a sort of fantasy sequence about how great it would be to reinvent yourself and have everyone love you and have a young hottie fall in love with you for no clear reason, and not have any financial concerns (she has one of those magic high-paying portable jobs that only take a couple of hours a day… I think I speak for all of us when I say MORE DETAILS about these jobs and how you get them, please!) There is a really intense Campy Gay Friend who makes Gay Comments… from the 1970s! about how sexy the young hero is. When I read to my husband the sequence where the heroine and the Gay Friend meet and “spar, sexily” (…no.) with the hero at a Hollywood party, he stared at me in blank horror and said “She’s terrifying.” And he’s right! Have you ever met people at a party where you and your partner/friend immediately try to get away, because you’re worried that they’ll invite you hot-tubbing and to meet their ferrets and so on? This scene is like that.
The tl;dr is that I have been thinking about re-reading Flowers from the Storm, and I should probably just go do it!
I’ve actually read quite a bit this month in spite of great difficulty concentrating. Let me mention DABWAHA nominees first:
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. A wonderful book, quietly, leisurely, and grippingly developing a complex world and a web of social and emotional ties. (This review says everything I’d like to.) I’m baffled why it was nominated, though — where’s the romance? It’s a story about friendship and treating people decently, and even the emperor’s relationship with his politically-chosen fiancée is more like friendship (and though the future empress is pretty awesome, she only appears on about 20 pages). No matter, I’m glad this occasion got me to read the book.
Rogue Spy by Joanna Bourne. I didn’t like this as much as I hoped. I’d never read any Bourne; the description of the book led me to expect a dark story of betrayal and double-agent isolation, but it wasn’t that at all, much more of an adventure story. I didn’t like how cartoony the villain was. And the prose style was strangely wearying, all short sentences with no rhythm.
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine. No problem with prose style here, it’s smooth and punchy. I’m halfway through and quite caught up in it, in the agonizing dilemma of young women who can’t figure out how to win themselves a life away from their controlling father in the 1920s. The main character, Jo “The General”, has a man she’s resisting feelings for and it’s one of those situations where she won’t give him (or any man) the tiniest chance to get close to her; and I’ll say she has about the best reasons for being cautious and closed-off I’ve ever read.
Indecent Exposure by Jane O’Reilly. Splendid erotic romance about a woman learning to claim her kink (she’s an erotic photographer, initially ashamed of that and of the way it turns her on to watch and direct her clients) which is both seriously hot and triumphantly feminist.
I’ve also read a couple others by O’Reilly which are also about women becoming comfortable with their desires and their bodies — The Pleasure Prinicple was enjoyable (with a remarkably patient hero) but the heroine of Indecent Desires was so very ashamed that it was really too painful to be enjoyable.
Speaking of women triumphantly coming into their own, I re-read two old Courtney Milan novellas, “The Lady Always Wins” and “What Happened at Midnight,” and it struck me that they are really the ideal escape if real-world problems get me down; they are both sort of paradigms a woman overcoming sexism to make her life exactly what she wants it to be (and marrying a man who’s thrilled to watch her do it). For this sort of story to be a proper antidote, it has to have believable obstacles believably overcome; and they do. “The Lady Always Wins” is also a paradigmatic example of a hero’s heel realization, grovel, and atonement.
In other non-DABWAHA books, I read One Kiss with a Rock Star by Amber Lin and Shari Slade, and both did and didn’t like it. On one hand, the heroine was fascinating, a consummate performer who can turn any situation to advantage by controlling appearances, and does so in some pretty clever ways during the course of the story. On the other hand, the hero was way too prone to behaving like a jerk out of grumpiness or nervousness, even though we’re told he’s really a perfectly sweet guy — he insults or rejects the heroine so many times that it becomes hard to understand why she keeps coming back to save him from himself. I liked the sexual dynamic between them where she’s the one in control, I didn’t like the fact that it turns out the reason she’s had lots of sexual adventures is not because she just wanted to, but because she was trying to ruin her own reputation (makes sense in context, sort of).
Last book to mention is Lorene Cary’s autobiography Black Ice (a re-read). She writes like a dream about her frustrating experiences as one of the few black students at an elite private school in the 1970s. (And also about her horrid first boyfriend, TW for rape. The guy is something of an encylopedia of manipulation techniques; he’s become proverbial in my mind: oh her boyfriend is a manipulative, self-justifying slimeball, he’s a “Ricky”.)
Lastly, I’d like to link to a charming essay, “Wooing in Danish”.
Last night I finished the contemporary romance In the Cards by Jamie Beck; it was an enjoyable read.
I read Amy Greene’s Long Man for my book group. We had a good discussion about it. It’s historical fiction dealing with the fact that the building of a dam in Tennessee in the mid-thirties will result in the flooding of a valley. The story features a woman who does not want to leave her family farm who has a child that goes missing on the eve of the flood.
I also recently finished Laura Florand’s Once Upon a Rose (La Vie en Roses) which was an enjoyable contemporary romance set in France.
I’ll heartily second recommendations for The Martian.
I’m on the last book in Lorraine Heath’s Lost Lords of Pembrook trilogy. Rafe’s story is the best of the three IMHO. I loved When The Duke Was Wicked. This series was good but not that same level of greatness for me.
Next I’m looking for something with a bit more humor and witty dialogue, a la Julia Quinn.
#15 @Avery – I felt the same way about The Martian. I was telling everyone about it.
#24 @Liz – I’ve decided to wait to read Vision in Silver until the next book comes out. I loved the first two so much. I can’t read this one and then wait. Must have at least two at once. Although her Daughter of Blood series is complete…
I started the month by signing up for Scribd with the Smart Bitches code (Thanks again Sarah!), and promptly read two books on my phone: Trade Me (I’m a little obsessed with Adam. Ok. fine that’s not ture. I’m completely obsessed with Adam. I need an Adam book. Stat!) and Devil in Winter. This was my first historical Kleypas and I loved St. Vincent, even though he turned into romance mush by the end.
Side note: I do not see ending my subscription to Scribd. There’s too much good stuff on there. Must get an iPad.
Side, side note: What Johanna Lindsey should I read first? There were so many JL sales this week and there are dozens of her books on Scribd, but I don’t know where to begin. Oh! @SBSarah Which to read first post!?!?
So I have a rule that I take books off my goodreads TBR list after two years. It’s more of a guideline, than a rule. So I finally read Magic Bites, Motorcycle Man, the Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie, and I’m currently reading Slave to Sensation.
Magic Bites was my first Ilona Andrews and I’m going to have to read at least a few more, damn it, because I must see Kate and Curran hook up. I’m hoping for epic.
Motorcycle Man was my second Kristen Ashley, and I liked it. Honestly the H/H were so close to the H/H of Sweet Dreams but I think I like Sweat Dreams/Tate better than Motorcycle Man/Tack. Although, I still want to read Lady Luck (Ty. stop it with the T names) because of that damn sampler, and Breathe (because librarian), and The Will was sale for .99 so how could I not get it? And Golden Dynasty is on Scribd. I am not a KA addict. Although I seem to be hanging out with a bad crowd.
I loved, loved loved Lord Ian and all of his brothers. I have to read the three other books.
I’m liking Slave to Sensation, but it’s a series with like 15 books in it? I’m thinking after this one I’ll jump to #10 with Hawke. Too confusing?
Next up is Dirty Rowdy Thing. I loved Sweet Filthy Boy so I’m hoping for more goodness. Then Faefever. I love this series and I just bought the first of her Highlander series at the used bookstore. Then, probably an historical, but which one?
Yay!
Julia – you are so smart to wait on Vision in Silver. But I just couldn’t.
Re: Nalini Singh’s psy-changelings, yes it’s a lot of books but I really would not jump ahead to #10. There is so much character and relationship backstory in the earlier books – that particular relationship especially. (Also #12 I think – Kaleb’s story – same deal.) I just think you would miss so much if you skip the middle books.
I just finished A Glove Shop in Vienna by Eva Ibbotson. It’s a collection of absolutely charming, but improbable short stories. I’d read it from the library a number of years ago and was absolutely thrilled to be able to get it on Kindle at last. The stories get a bit repetitive, but Ibbotson is my absolute go-to comfort read.
There hasn’t been much time for reading otherwise because my Lego Helicarrier arrived a couple of weeks ago and the hubby and I have been building it in the evenings. Between that and killer overtime last week, I’ve only gotten about a third of the way through The Girl on the Train. It’s definitely not a romance and not quite as unputdownable as some people say, but it is quite interesting, although I think I’ve already figured out the mystery.
The only “new” thing I’ve read this month is Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar. I really enjoyed it, its not my usual jam but I couldn’t put it down. It’s New Adult, which I really don’t like, but the characters are drawn very well and are very relatable. It’s about a 19 year old soldier (Travis) who’s back home on leave and dealing with trauma from the service and insanity at home.
There’s a duality in Travis: he’s a soldier who’s seen action and so mature in that way, but he’s 19 and he became a soldier right out of high school so he’s immature too. He lacks the skills to deal with the world outside of the army and he no longer fits in with his crowd at home.
There is a romance, the heroine is Harper, she’s interesting. She is perhaps mature beyond her years but in a very realistic way.
The book is written in first person, present from his point of view. Generally this would have been a deal breaker for me but she does it very well.
I absolutely recommend this book.
Other than that I’m reading Penny Reid and absolutely enjoying her. She’s intelligent, funny, and she’s sexy without being explicit. I really like that.
And I’m reading Delphine Dryden’s the science of temptation series and thoroughly enjoying it. It is somewhat more explicit. And that’s ok too.
@Cordy I also had the same reaction to The Unidentified Redhead. It was just too ridiculous and grating. I was excited to try it because I really liked Wallbanger but ended up not even finishing it.
I’m so glad so many people are reading The Martian! I just ordered my friend to read it this morning. Yes, I order my friends to read things. They sometimes actually listen.
I had an amazing reading month. I’ve been taking advantage of my free Scribd trial. I read the two Laura Lee Guhrke books I hadn’t read yet, Breathless and Not That Innocent. I had been wanting to read them for a long time but they usually run about $15 each so the price was too steep for my blood. Breathless is set in Georgia around the time of Prohibition and has a divorced, ‘scandalous’ librarian heroine and a lawyer hero. Not That Innocent takes place in London in 1897 with a psychic heroine and a detective hero which I loved. She goes to report a vision she has of someone being killed and it turns out he’s the one she sees being killed. He doesn’t believe her until he barely escapes being shot then he assumes she has something to do with the attempt. They were both a nice change from the usual historicals.
I also read Moonfire and Angelfire by Linda Lael Miller, historicals set in Australia. I enjoyed Moonfire a little more. I liked them both but more do to the setting and plot than the actual romances in them.
I listened to Diary of an Accidental Wallflower through Scribd and loved it. It was just a really sweet romance that dealt with a class difference between the heroine. It may have been tied up a little too neatly in the end but that was part of the charm of the book for me. I have to say that listening to Scribd audiobooks on my iPod is a bit of a chore. It freezes up a lot. The android app is better but doesn’t have an option to change the narration speed. It’s the only big downfall of the service I’ve seen so far.
Other Scribd highlights include Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews, the first three Arcadia Bell books and novella by Jenn Bennett, Hearts on Fire by Alison Packard, Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh (I’m trying to resist getting the new book in the series since I have so much else to read but it’s going to be hard!), Burn for Me on audiobook by Ilona Andrews, Having Her by Jackie Ashenden (so not my usual thing but I loved it!), The Game Plan by R.L Mathewson, The Wedding Favor and The Wedding Vow by Cara Connelly both on audio, Fire Me Up by Kimberly Kincaid (I enjoy this sweet, small-town set series) Give it All by Cara McKenna on audio (I recommend reading this because the narrator was rather annoying to me), Half Moon Hollow by Toni Blake on audio, and In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams by Karen Ranney on audio.
I read a few non-Scribd books including Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress by Theresa Romain, it definitely deserves all the praise it’s been getting, I loved the characters! I also read Vision in Silver which was great and I can’t wait until the next book. The last book I read outside of Scribd was Sweet Filthy Boy which was great. I have so many books sometimes I get to the point where I want to read but can’t pick so I made my best friend look through my kindle books and pick one. I may have to do that more because it worked out so well.
Right now, I’m in the middle of The Rosie Effect which I got as an ebook through my local library. I may have to put it down for a while though. I just don’t seem to be in the right mindset for it at the moment.
Due to the setting not do. Sorry, I reread my post and that just bothered me too much to leave uncorrected.
I’ve been on a fantasy romance binge lately, read Radiance by Grace Draven and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. Radiance is my favorite book in a long time, absolutely loved it. A strong heroine that kicks ass with her brain and mouth, but not her body. A lovely slow romance between the protagonists. This was a book where everything worked for me.
Latest book that caught my interest was The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison. A YA fantasy with romantic elements that got me crying but also gave me that warm fuzzy feeling at the end.
On the non-fiction side I actually finally finished The Hypochondriac’s Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have (what a mouthful of a title).
Oh, and I’m currently reading Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James. Haven’t made up my mind about that one yet, but he beginning was a bit bland for me.
Cordy! We obviously need to exchange reading lists because I am 100% in agreement about the Elizabeth Hoyt Leopard Prince book. I will tell you that The Serpent Prince is much better and closer to The Raven Prince in quality. I am also right there with you on “Rise”. I too like Kresley Cole although I preferred “the Master” over “The Professional”. I Do really like her paranormal series and have read them all. I have recently read two Ava March books both Male/Male that I liked, “All in with the Duke” and “Sharp Love”. Also read rock Hard which I liked better than Rock Addiction. To those of you who haven’t read “The Martian” you need to head to the closest library and get it now! I’m just reading filler until the Kylie Scott “Deep” comes out on the 31st.