You know what time it is! It’s that time where we talk about the books we’ve read this month and our bank account gets a little lighter.
For me, I’m finally getting around to reading my first Christina Lauren. I know I’ve mentioned that before (I think on the last Whatcha Reading), but I really mean it this time!
Since Elyse has reviewed two books in the Beautiful series, I decided to give the Wild Seasons series a shot since I know the least about it. I’m a quarter through Sweet Filthy Boy ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) and it’s so much fun! I’m already looking forward to the rest in the series.
I also got a notification that my hold for Manwhore by Katy Evans ( A | K | G | AB | Au ) came in at the library. I don’t even remember requesting it, though it’s possible I could have been drunk and browsing books. My roommate swears I came into her room and told her about it, but I honestly have no recollection.
Elyse:
I’m currently reading Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake.
Also reading The Magic of Shetland Lace Knitting by Elizabeth Novick ( A ), which is perfect for anyone interested in designing their own lace projects.
Carrie: I lead a book club at Arden Dimick Library and they wanted to read Crime and Punishment ( A | K | G | AB ) – so I’m starting it today!
Redheadedgirl:
I just finished The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig and about to start Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
And Lobscouse and Spotted Dog ( A | BN ).
Sarah: I’m comfort reading Dragon Actually by GA Aiken, because comfort is sometimes found in stories about Annwyl the Bloody, who decapitates people, and dragon shifters, because DRAGON.
Campy, violent, bloody, sexy fairy tales! AND DRAGONS.
On deck: One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron ( A ).
I read Nice Dragons Finish Last ( A ) and realllllly liked it (excellent world building) so I’m happy to have the sequel.
Also: DRAGONS.
Tell us what you’re reading! What were your hits and misses this month?
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 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!)
Romance is totally letting me down this month, BUT I have a strong recommendation to share for people who like historical fiction:
The Cunning House by Richard Marggraf Turley
http://www.amazon.com/Cunning-House-Richard-Marggraf-Turley-ebook/dp/B00RKPCGTG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1439755238&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cunning+house
Set in 1810 London, it’s a sort of mystery? mild thriller? set against the backdrop of two real-life events: a social club/brothel where gay men convene is raided, and there is a violent murder in the house of one of the Royal princes – and these two events may be more connected than first appears. At the time, homosexuality was a hanging offense, and you get the impression from the book that for various reasons there was a surge in cultural panic about gay men. The main character is Wyre, a lawyer who has been pushed by his bosses to specialize in prosecuting “molly cases” (sodomy cases), but he’s also been left by his wife, and he’s also involved in doggedly investigating the Palace murder, and he’s also having UST with the fiancee of one of the men caught up in the raid.
Ignore the low Amazon reviews. The prose is OUTSTANDING. It’s just great. I think the Amazon reviews are low because the book just drops you in the middle of this universe, and the prose does not babysit you or hold your hand in terms of 1810 London dialects. But I guarantee that if you stick with it, you’ll work out who the characters are and what’s happening and become obsessed.
It’s soooooooo gooooood.
(Side note: the LGBT elements are very tenderly handled, to me. I find all of it so terrible and so poignant! The homosexual men are not portrayed as saintly figures – in fact there’s a lot about the underground molly culture that is pretty upsetting and grim – but I think that’s probably realistic when you declare something a crime against God and drive it underground.)
Anyway, it’s the kind of book that has provoked many a google project for me! Give it a try!
I received a wishlist book from Paperback Swap that was actually two books: Libbie’s London Merchant and Miss Chartley’s Guided Tour by Carla Kelly. I really enjoyed both books and was happy that I kept the Carla Kelly books on my PBS wishlist, since Scribd dumped most of its romance books earlier this month. Then, I read and enjoyed Rosie Hopkin’s Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan, another PBS book.
I bought Lauren Dane’s ebook, Opening Up, when it was on sale, thanks to the review by Elyse and thought it was really good too.
On scribd, I’ve been listening to old Susan Elizabeth Phillips books while I do housework/chores or work in the garden. I’m currently listening to His Wicked Reputation by Madeline Hunter, which has been slow, but overall, I a enjoying it. I was surprised that there are so many romance audio books still available on scribd, even thoough most of the ebook versions are gone or expiring. Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series is available in audio, including the most recent book. I have already read those, so if the narrator is good, I may keep the scribd subscription until I’ve listened to those too — they will help pass the time when I’m cleaning house.
@Cordy – I’m intrigued! Getting it from the library.
@Cordy:
Oooooh, that sounds…SO ADDICTIVE. Thank you for the rec!
@Katrin – did you like the Elder Races series?
@lijakaca: What a small world! And I definitely look forward to seeing what comes over!
I’ve put ‘Voyager’ aside to read on the weekends.
Read and finished ‘Strathmere’s Bride’, by Jaqueline Navin. It being a slightly older Harlequin romance that had been on my shelves forever, I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to. It’s about a French governess who takes care of her cousin’s two younger daughters after they survive a carriage accident, which killed their parents. She butts heads with the girls’ stuffy uncle. (And new English duke.) Glad I rescued it from the donation box.
At the moment, I’ve finally gotten around to reading ‘The Hunger Games’. Have to admit that I’m actually loving it thus far. (It’s not bandwagon-jumping if I waited several years, and for the teasers for the final film to be released to read it, is it?) This series and ‘Strathmere’s Bride’ were just what I needed right now.
@SBSarah, in case Katrin doesn’t come back, I’ve really enjoyed the Elder Races books. She’s got some good solid world building. Interesting takes on mythical creatures. Dragos and Pia are the bomb. His sentinals are awesome. The first book had a really nice surprise in it (at least for someone like me who still has the major part of her collection scattered around the house). The last two weren’t on par with the previous outings, but they’re still superior to most other paranormals. I have high hopes for the next book as it returns to the weyr so there’s a chance for running into Pia, Dragos and Liam.
Way late to this party but here are some of mine:
Ilona Andrews’ Magic Shifts was great. She has never let me down. Bummed to hear White Hot was delayed but she has 2, no 3 great series going. The other is her online serial Innkeeper Chronicles.
Mary Balogh’s The Survivor series. Read all of these in one delicious glomfest. Can’t wait for the last 2. Happily realized there were other books by her I haven’t read, so there’s that to look forward to as well.
Nicole Kimberling’s Happy Snak was different in a good way. It wasn’t what I expected and I liked where it went. I don’t believe it would suit everyone but ymmv.
Ashlyn Macnamara’s What a Lady series. This was meh for me. Not great but not bad. Can’t say I liked them enough to read more by her.
Cardeno C’s The Half of Us. Really enjoyed this and liked this new to me author.
Lilah Pace’s Asking For It. Also liked this and am looking forward to the sequel this September.
Jennifer McQuiston’s Diary of an Accidental Wallflower was also lovely and am looking forward to that series as well.
Kresley Cole. Have heard good things about her for years but am only now starting to read her. Like what I’ve read so far.
Christina Lauren- Discovered her through this site. It took me awhile to get to her but I’m glad I did. Loved Sweet Filthy Boy and am currently finishing up her Beautiful series. Admittedly I prefer the books in this series to the novellas. My library has the Sweet Filthy Morning After audiobook available and it’s not even listed under “books” on her website. Weird.
Heidi Cullinan’s Family Man. Loved this and have her Love Lessons series on deck.
Robin LaFever’s His Fair Assassin series is also cued.
Sitting beside me as I type this are Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Charming by Elliott James, No Limits by Lori Foster and Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley. My week is set.
Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Enigma. I’m sort of not so patiently waiting for this one. Love me some Naasir.
Oh, and as always, some Harlequin category romances just for the sheer WTFery.
@kitkat9000: For Harlequin categories, I highly recommend you try Kat Cantrell. She writes for the Desire line and I love her books – any that she does (that don’t contain pregnancy or babies or children) are auto buys for me. I really liked The Things She Says – the hero is an actor and the heroine is a romance-reading waitress. He helps her get out of her tiny Texas town and away from her alcoholic dad by giving her a lift to…. Dallas, I think it was. It is a road trip romance!
@Nancy House you can find some of Clare Darcy’s books as PDF scans through Open Library. Not the easiest to read but better IME than battered old paperbacks.
I just finished two books by Deeanne Gist in the Chicago World’s Fair series–Tiffany Girl and It Happened at the Fair. The historical background was more interesting to me than the romance, that’s really what kept me reading!
Heather S, when I mentioned Barbara Hambly’s Ishmael as being a good read for Kirk and Spock fans, I meant a good read for fans of the Original series. In fact, it’s really a book that is 80% Spock. He’s thrown back in time to the settlement of Seattle and has a head injury resulting in amnesia. It’s one of my favorite original series books.
Other favorite TOS spin off books include Yesterday’s Son and Time for Yesterday both by A.C. Crispin, Uhura’s Song by Janet Kagan, The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar, Doctor’s Orders by Diane Duane. Dreams of the Raven by Carmen Carter, and The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes.
reading 4th book in outsider series.more than half read but am taking a bread .so read a mystery ,finished that , and now on to fantasy in which 13 year old teen and uncle on a quest where places are different ages and time dues to a disruption,mmm it book1 . called the glass sentence. not sure i like the style it both very dry and very angsty.
Ah, one more title. I just finished The Museum of Extraordinary Things
by Alice Hoffman for my book group. It was an intriguing and enjoyable read.
Late to the party, but whatever. I’m in mourning over dear son at college. Missing my kid and fighting off some survivable-but-making-me-feel-elderly diagnoses has pushed me into reading for survival.
1) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
Non-fiction. Awesome. Seriously, incredibly awesome. The author’s mindset is spot on to helping you make permanent changes stick and be PLEASANT while doing it. Seriously, I LOVE folding clothes and keeping things neat. And that is not my natural inclination. Her Shinto religion shapes her approach and that’s a neat thing. Just keep in mind that she views objects and imbued with energy and feelings.
2) The Fitzhugh Trilogy by Sherry Thomas. Always love Sherry Thomas. Her writing in sublime. I got lost in them and needed the get-away badly. Highly recommended.
3) The Husband Test by Bettina Kahn. Bleargh. A nun who isn’t a nun who didn’t want to be a nun, gets to avoid being and nun by marrying a hottie and complains about not getting to be a nun the whole &^%$ time. Heroine is TATL (Too annoying to live).
4) Starting on the Joanna Bourne’s Spymaster series again. She’s darn near perfect. All her books are. If I finish those an STILL am feeling blue, I reread some Laura Kinsale. I need some hedge hog joy.
@HeatherS: Thanks for the recommendation, it sounds interesting and I’ll look into it. My reintroduction to HCRs came just over a year ago when I broke down and got a smartphone. After installing the 3M app on it, I went trawling through my library’s digital offerings and discovered both Sarah Morgan and Sarah Mayberry. Unfortunately, they spoiled me rotten and I have a tendency to compare other HCRS to theirs. I’m always looking for more good authors.
Per your caveats, if you haven’t already encountered Lynne Graham I would strongly suggest you avoid her.
I’m somewhat OCD, so when I start a new series or author I have to finish. This can wreak havoc with me when the series turns and I haven’t broken from it yet (think Hamilton, Harris & Evanovich). It can take me years to break myself of reaching for the latest book. With my irritating background established, let me return to Ms Graham. During the spring I hate-read 70+ ebooks my library had of hers. Every heroine was 17-24 years old, virginal, and I think every last one ended up pregnant. One book had a 30 yo heroine but she met, married and divorced the hero when she was 17. THEN DIDN’T HAVE SEX FOR 13 YEARS!! Not until the hero (Ha!) came back into her life.
Every “hero” was an Alphahole who didn’t believe the h regardless of what she said and every girl had an inability to think once they were touched. EVERY ONE OF THEM. I don’t care if the girl ends up begging for it, no means no. And despite being written in the ’90s,’00s & ’10s, also contained bad medical practices. What hospital in world would let a pregnant woman miscarry and not scan her afterwards to make sure everything was out? Or, I don’t know, what ob-gyn would have a patient blow up like a bowling ball and not scan? No one knew she was carrying twins because evidently it never dawned on anyone to listen to the fetal heartbeat. And this was a book from the ’00s.
The first few weren’t so bad but then my OCD kicked in and I was stuck. And I do mean stuck. If ever I meet that woman my rage-rant will blow her into the stratosphere. Seriously, seriously avoid her at all costs. I wish to hell I had.
Ahem. Sorry about that. I’ll just step down off of my soapbox and retreat back into my cave.
kitkat9000, If I understand you, you are saying that Lynne Graham just writes the same story over and over again, and just changes the names of the characters. I can think of a few authors for that is true, most notably Danielle Steele.
I appreciate your warning because that kinda thing drives me nuts.
May I suggest that you write some reviews of some of her books for Amazon, Goodreads and wherever else one can.
@Gloriamarie: Yes, she does basically rewrite the same story but I’m actually afraid to comment because once I got started, I don’t know that I could stop. Aside from the fact she’s not worth any more of my time, I don’t remember the titles of the most egregious ones. (They are all awful to some degree but some are so much worse than others.)
You may be wondering why, if they were so bad, I read enough of them for my OCD to kick in. The most honest answer I can give is that the first 3-4 weren’t that bad. Not great but not awful. I don’t actually expect much from HCRs, most especially the ones with white-covers. You know the ones I mean- all the heroes are Greek, Arabic, Sicilian, Italian, Russian or British and they’re all rich. They’re short, formulaic easy reads but it’s okay. Sometimes that’s just what I want to read.
I have a complete list but didn’t bother with descriptions as there didn’t seem to be much point. Though I may make an effort to review the one with the miscarried twin. Definite book tosser, that one.
PS: Sarah, will it ever be possible to correct a post? It seems like I always make mistakes regardless of proofreading.
I feel like I have to put a good word in for Lynne Graham. Yes, the books are formulaic, but that’s why people like them. She’s actually my favorite of the few HP authors I read. It’s an easy comfort read, and I don’t think they’re anti-feminist because the heroes have to change their behavior a lot more than the heroines do in order to get to the HEA. I find her stories to be very similar to the HP’s by Sarah Morgan and Maya Banks’s Silhouette Desire books(The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress, etc).