Is it really Whatcha Reading time again? Admittedly, with my recent travel, I haven’t been reading as much as previous months. But summer in the U.S. is fast approaching and I’m hoping that means some quality outside reading and lazing. Have you hit a lull like me or is your reading pace full steam ahead?
Redheadedgirl: I just finished the Romance Readers Guide to Historical London (what, you don’t read travel guides like novels?) and just started The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning ( A | BN ), which I bought during the Reader Rec party at RT. “How do you spell that? d-u-r..? Yeah, that’ll be waiting for me when I get home.”
Carrie: I just (as in, one minute ago) finished reading Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan. It’s a romance between two young adults (18 and 19) who are gay – one has major depressive and anxiety disorder and the other is on the autism spectrum. I disliked the fact that the autistic character, Emmett, is a savant because I know that is a stereotype. I also noticed that all the main characters are white. Other than that, I loved the discussions of autism, depression and anxiety, and physical disability, I loved the interactions between characters, and I loved that the couple has an active sex life and insists on being respected as an actual couple, not something “cute.”
I will warn readers that at one point a character discusses suicidal ideation in a way that is very powerful but was also very triggering for me – on the other hand, that passage in addition to so many other conversations helped me think about my own disabilities in a more positive way. The book explicitly spells out that loving relationships are helpful and important but do not “cure” things. I don’t feel knowledgeable enough about the topics the book addresses to give a full review, but as a novice reader I loved it, moving on to the sequel!
Amanda: I’m currently listening to Wicked Intentions ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) on audio and I’m really loving it. I was just lying in bed listening to it the other night. It’s wonderful.
After that, I have no clue what to start. Right now, it’s between White Hot by Ilona Andrews ( A | BN | K | AB ) – EEEP! Or The Deep End by Kristen Ashley ( A | BN | K | AB ), which was the book I was desperately searching for at RT and mentioned in our Sleepy Bitches RT podcast.
Sarah: I’m reading Dragon Bones by Jasmine Walt and Ines Johnson. So much is revealed in the first six chapters or so I’m not sure what is and isn’t a spoiler!
Nia is an immortal archeologist, and there are a handful of other immortals in the world. There’s relics and history from multiple cultures and continents — and also some violence against animals so be ye warned. Nia teams up with a woman named Loren who has a relic that Nia can authenticate – likely because she wrote it a few thousand years before.
I’m not huge into urban fantasy, but this is a lot of fun, and a feminist, intelligent spin on the idea of Lara Croft.
Elyse: I’m reading The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean ( A | BN | K | AB ). It’s about a Duke trying to woo his wife back when she wants nothing to do with him (for excellent reasons) and it’s both wonderfully angsty and funny. And there’s a cat named Brummell who is there for comic relief.
What have you read this month? Has anything surpassed your expectations? Let us know in the comments!
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I’m reading Dietland by Sarai Walker. It starts out as a story about a fat girl who loathes herself and turns into a feminist revenge by a group of radical feminists story. It’s scathing, upsetting, funny, and insightful.
I am also reading the friends to lovers romance Size Matters by ALison Bliss, the cute and romantic manga Princess Jellyfish vol 1, and the kink tastic Maizy and the Three Bears–a romance novel about a zatfig kindergarten teacher who is being pursued by a trio of brothers.
I’m currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which I picked up on my way back from work earlier this week. This is relevant because it’s probably the only book that’s ever made me wish my commute was a longer one because I just wanted to keep going.
I don’t tend to read many MC books, but I happened to win two of the books in the Reapers MC series by Joanna Wylde, and had bought the first book, Reaper’s Property, on sale awhile back, so I dug it out of the TBR mountain and read it. Well, I’m still not a convert to MC books in general, but this series is all kinds of crack. I’ve now powered through the first three books, and am having a hard time resisting powering right through the rest. After a couple of books, most authors’ style starts to grate on me, so I don’t binge very often but in this case, I just cannot restrain myself.
Aside from that, a few books I read recently and loved were
– The Little Teashop of Horrors by Jane Lovering (quirky British romance for the win!)
– Just What I Needed by Lorelei James (I’d forgotten how much I like her writing)
– Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne (Georgie, the heroine, was just so carefree and sunny)
– Devil In Spring by Lisa Kleypas (I really liked Gabriel and Pandora, but honestly it was the glimpses of Sebastien and Evie that sealed the deal for me)
– The Marine by Cheryl Reavis (more women’s fiction than romance, with a lot of plot and characterization packed into a relatively short page count)
It’s been a pretty good reading month for me.
The highlights:
Daisy Prescott’s Wingmen series, especially Better Love. I’m so enamored of Dan the Pizza Man! I love several things about this series. First, the setting on Whidbey Island is well-integrated into the story and adds to it. Second, any drama is pretty low-key and not as contrived as it can be in other books I’ve read. Third, the ILY doesn’t happen at the very end. I appreciate being able to see the couple interact once the emotional stakes are laid out on the table. And finally, these are all told in first person POV entirely by the hero. It’s a refreshing change.
Baby, Come Back by M. O’Keefe: This is the sequel to Bad Neighbor. Without spoiling anything, I was most interested to see how O’Keefe was going to redeem this couple. Neither was appealing as portrayed in the first book, with the hero doing something despicable. I had no idea how she would flip it around and make me believe it, but she did. I will always have faith in her ability to make me cheer for her flawed characters. And now I have a friend hooked on these too (Bad Decisions Book Club membership pending).
I finally started reading Sarina Bowen. I can’t tell you why it took me so long, but I love her True North series. I read all 3 in 4 days, if that tells you anything. Love the Shipley family and the farm setting.
And I just finished Penny Reid’s Dating-ish, the latest entry in her Knitting in the City series. Quirky, interesting, topical discussions regarding professional cuddlers, compassionate AI, and orgasmic meditation. And a perfect set up for the next book featuring Kat and Dan.
There were others as well, but this hits the high points. I’ll be scouring the other posts for recs for my Hawaii vacation in a week.
Well, it’s my favorite post of the month, so let’s get all up in this, shall I? Work has been a madhouse and it turns out that Storytelling is going to be a pretty hard class (“It’ll be fun!” they said), so I can’t really say that I have been dedicating the time to reading that I would like. Oh, well.
Looking at the past month, it appears that I went HAM on the YA. I had just started The Sun Is Also A Star this time last month, and it was SO. VERY. GOOD. After that was Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner, which was about a young man coming to grips with the deaths of his three best friends in a car accident. He (along with half the town) blames himself for their deaths, as he had sent the driver a text, and the driver was texting him back, and well…you know the rest, I’m betting. It, quite frankly, ripped my heart out of my chest, stomped on it, and then handed it back to me sheepishly. As heartbreaking studies on grief and survivor’s guilt go, it had the desired effect. I needed something slightly less likely to emotionally compromise me after that one, and read Seven Minutes In Heaven by Eloisa James. Lydia = Patronus, but whoa to the lack of communication. Then I went with Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett. Her books always have the most marvelous sense of place. It was a fun read, and she snuck some interesting material in there given that both main characters, despite being teenagers, have experienced significant trauma and and are working through that, and one of them has a former friend that is now a very destructive (to both himself and everyone around him) opiate addict. You can have the fun and still sneak in some difficult external conflict. That’s life. Then I went ahead and read Hot In Hellcat Canyon by Julie Anne Long, which I won’t say too much about, since it was my RITA Reader Challenge book. I did enjoy tracking down those Timothy Olyphant GIFs though. As for the current reads, I have Packing For Mars by Mary Roach in the CD player and man, people go through some seriously weird shit in order to get shot into space. I am currently glomming A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, and MAN OH MAN. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH THAT I AM UNASHAMEDLY USING ALL THE CAPITAL LETTERS. Rhysand…sigh. Just…it’s sexy and violent and there are so many unexpectedly emotional parts, and all the best monsters and I’ll just stop, because otherwise we’ll be here all day.
I just finished the Inheritance Trilogy by J.K. Jemisen and am starting her “The Fifth Season” now. I really like her worldbuilding and non-traditional approach to fantasy.
As for more traditional romance fiction, I read a few novels by Jane Lovering. I had seen her stuff around before but was put off by descriptions that included words like “cozy” and “Yorkshire.” And indeed her stories are cozy Yorkshire romances that are pretty light on plot, but I enjoyed them because she portrays characters, particularly male characters, who have significant disabilities. (And not the usual trope of “he was abused so now he’s a sullen mean-as-a-snake cage fighter who just needs a good woman’s love.”) In particular, I liked “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “I Don’t Want to Talk About It.”
I haven’t read the other comments yet-but my new Kindle Fire just came today, so I am sure I will be breaking that baby in after I do! I still have my old Kindle which I love, but it is too old to access Hoopla, which I just discovered from my library, and am anxious to try.
Books this month:
I’ve read all the Escape to New Zealand books by Rosalind James. I love rugby, and I enjoyed all these books. The setting of New Zealand was amazing, and I liked how she explained a lot about the Maori culture.
Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen-her new book about the hockey team the Brooklyn Bruisers, I love this series!
The Purple Diaries by Joseph Egan, and Mary Astor’s Purple Diaries by Edward Sorel-I’m a huge Mary Astor fan, and both these books (obviously) deal with the same thing-the court case of Astor and her ex-husband’s custody battle over their daughter. Both very good books, Sorel’s was lighter, and his drawings were awesome, Egan’s was more series.
The War That Saved My Life- Kimberly Brubaker Bradley-I read this last night, and I loved it. It is a Newberry Honor book, listed for middle schoolers, but I thought it was amazing. I can’t wait for the sequel. Two London children are evacuated to Kent at the start of WW II-very touching.
I almost forgot about the The Kincaid Series by Rosalind James-three books that I loved, especially the first one-Welcome to Paradise-takes place during the filming of a reality show, where they go back and live like homesteaders in the West. That was total catnip for me!
Trying to read Bombshell by CD Reiss, but not enjoying it much. Hollywood nannies, celebrity culture, I guess I’m not in the mood right now.
Can’t wait to read all the other comments!
@K.N.O’Rear-I’m a huge Roberta Gellis fan, I think her Roselynde Chronicles cemented me as a romance reader. Her books were so descriptive-you felt like you were in England in the Middle Ages.
@KateB-Flavia De Luce is my idol! After I read the first book, I was absolutely hooked. My favorites so far are the earlier books, I give all kinds of kudos to Alan Bradley, an older Canadian author-for bringing to life this young English character!
So I caught the comment by Jennifer Estep that she is trying to whittle down her TBR pile and I laughed. Is that possible???
So I haven’t read much this month for some reason. And by much I’ve only read 4 books and honestly most of them were just ok.
I read the Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert and honestly I don’t remember much about it.
After that was Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh and it was as good as her other stuff. There wasn’t one main character. It was a ‘What are they up to now’ episode..I mean book.
I just finished Penny Reid’s Dating-ish. I LOVE Penny Reid. If you haven’t you need to try her!
I also read Deadmen Walking by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Lately it seems like to me that if it isn’t a League book I have a hard time getting into it. This one was no different. However my copy is signed from meeting her at RT!
And right now I am reading Chelsea Mueller’s Borrowed Souls. It’s gotten better than it was at the beginning but I could stop reading now and be ok with it. I’m not ok with writing that though. It does seem like it coming across or influenced by as Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series. Which speaking of when does the next one in that series come out? It’s been way too long. I need some Terrible.
I wish we could reply under certain comments-oh well…
@Julia aka mizelli-I ADORE Renee Patrick’s mysteries with Edith Head and Lillian Frost. As a classic movie nerd-this hits all my sweet spots, and seems very well researched. I find both Lillian and Edith totally engaging, and love their friendship. These books are a must for any classic movie fan.
@Amy S, well I know I’m never going to whittle my tbr down if I keep reading these posts! I had to buy Design for Dying by Renee Patrick after all the love. I’m a huge classic movie fan so I can’t believe I didn’t know about this series before. Thanks everyone who mentioned it!
You have failed me today, Goodreads. It put this in the weirdest spot…like back where the February books are. So weird.
Allow me to add The Thing About Love by Julie James to the earlier selections. Enjoyed everything about it. Great humor, banter, and good enemistry.
Hello, SBTB. The new illustration for this column is a delight to me because it is exactly how I anticipate each book as I open it for the first time.
@ Berry – All I Have by Nicole Holm was a fun read a few years ago. Cream of the Crop was good even though I kept wishing Natalie would get some appropriate farm footwear!
Another shout out for Roberta Gellis. The Rope Dancer remains one of my all-time favorites. I loved her Medievals back in the day.
I have been reading/re-reading Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series and think I may need to take a little break. The other night, I dreamed I was fighting crime, like the Ghost of St. Giles, swords and all, with one of my former work teammates. We battled a lot of network problems and workplace idiocy during our time together. Sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago. I have been missing him as I mentor his latest replacement. Action-packed dreams aside, I am getting much more out of the character development and the way the stories piece together. Once I finish Lord of Darkness, it may be time for a contemporary or two.
@KateB you come sit over here by me. I got Assassin’s Fate on release date and I’m dragging, I MEAN DRAGGING my feet in reading this book to the end because I’ve got a feeling I’m going to be a bucket of salty, salty tears by the end. I’ve just reached the part where Nighteyes NIGHTEYES *sob* has told Fitz that he’s been deceived and Bee is in his arms. I just can’t. Unable to can. Who knew I was such a scaredy cat? So SO good!
I’m also reading THE WHEREABOUT OF ENEAS McNULTY by Sebastian Barry. I’ve already finished DAYS WITHOUT END, which is so beautifully written and compelling that it almost makes up for the horror of the subject matter. Still recommend it.
For research purposes, I’m reading Black People in the British Empire by Peter Fryer and Asians in Britain: 400 years of History by Rozina Visram.
I’ve been all over the place in my reading this month. All new to me things, but some stuff is older than others. Though, looking at my list, that was April. I was so proud of catching up on my GR reading challenge, but I’ve fallen behind since I’ve been back from RT. 🙁
I’ve read and given a minimum of 4 stars to all of these:
RIDE ROUGH – Laura Kaye
RED WOLF – Jennifer Ashley
ROOKIE Move – Sarina Bowen
THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH – Amanda Quick
SEX IN THE STICKS – Sawyer Bennett
I just started MIDNIGHT UNBOUND by Lara Adrian. I really need to start reading some of those books I picked up at RT.
@Marueen – Years ago, I had a bookseller tell me I would love Flavia but the precocious young girl bit scared me off. Now, I’m delighted. I love all the literature references and science and I can TOTALLY picture it as a TV series.
@Pamala – I was scared to start, and once I did, I was close to tears throughout. It was a farewell tour! “Oh! Paragon! Malta! Heeby! Clef! Verity! KETTRICKEN!!!!!!!” was me throughout. And Beloved, oh Beloved! I think the only cure is to start all over.
A little while back, I left a complimentary comment about Elizabeth Essex’s book “After the Scandal” on a Facebook thread, and the author thanked me. Afterwards I realized that the book I had been thinking of was “Almost a Scandal”, and that “After” was still on my TBR pile! So I decided I had to read it next, and it was wonderful, even better than “Almost” which is a high hurdle. So good I had to read it twice in a row. The first time skimming over some sex scenes(not that I don’t enjoy them) simply because the plot was so compelling I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, and then the second time more slowly, enjoying the writing. It’s one of those books where almost all the action is compressed into a little over 24 hours. The H & h meet and are immediately off on an adventure that lasts a night and a day. Then the H just has to be cleared of a murder charge before they can have their HEA.
Now I’m catching up with Theresa Romain’s Season books which I somehow missed, and I’ve also just gotten started on Alyssa Cole’s “An Extraordinary Union”, and I just got the latest C.S. Harris Sebastian St. Cyr mystery from the library.
I finished a handful of Harlequin Spice Briefs that I got from the library ecollection (which were all terrible *SIGH*), and yesterday I finished the RITA book I’m reviewing here (Rita Herron’s All the Dead Girls). Guys, I think this is going to be a rant. I really, really had problems with that thing.
I’m in need of a palate cleanser.
Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan was excellent, Carrie. I haven’t yet had a chance to read the sequel which is only recently out.
Some recent reads here ~
— Unboxed by Amy Crook. This book/world has a premise which I found quite intriguing. A couple of observations: First, I could wish the book were less graphic, because I think others who might enjoy the magic aspect will not read it due to the adult content. [And then there’s the fact that my adult daughter (who gave this to me as a gift since it was on my wish list) has expressed an interest in borrowing it. I’m not sure what she’ll think of her mother’s taste in books!] Second, the author spends considerable time writing about all of the eating and drinking the characters do. Most of that drinking is of tea and to a far lesser extent alcohol, while the eating is of biscuits and pastries with occasional breaks for curries and other savory foods. The book would likely be 25 percent shorter were those scenes to be omitted. This would probably not be a good book to read if you’re hungry or thirsty! All that said, I did enjoy the book and will likely re-read it at some point. I’d certainly like to read more by this author.
— I also re-read (yet again!) Written In Red: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop after deciding to buy my own Kindle copy. It’s still on sale for $2.99.
— And I read the science fiction romance Stranded with the Cyborg by Cara Bristol which happens to be currently free to Kindle readers. This was a pleasant read, but I doubt it’s a book I’ll re-read.
— Joanna Chambers’ historical male/male romance A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack Book 2) which I enjoyed. While this book is second in the series, all of the books stand alone and are only linked by their location in Cornwall.
— Sarina Bowen’s contemporary romance Falling From the Sky (Gravity Book 2) which I enjoyed (though it’s not my favorite from the author). While it’s book two in a series, it stands alone well.
— a collection of two historical romance novellas which I also enjoyed ~ The Duke and His Duchess / The Courtship (Windham Series) by Grace Burrowes. These stories feature the parents of the main characters from the author’s first series of books; it showcases their courtship (what a surprise!) and a time in their life when they have four young children. You need not have read any of the author’s other works to enjoy these novellas.
— I resumed my reading of Sheri Cobb South’s John Pickett historical mysteries after a hiatus of a couple of months: Pickpocket’s Apprentice is a prequel to the series. This is available for 99 cents to Kindle readers. I also read Dinner Most Deadly, Too Hot to Handel, and the now final book in the series namely For Deader or Worse. I believe more books are to come.
— I finished my re-read of Anne Bishop’s the Others series with Vision In Silver, Marked In Flesh, and Etched in Bone. I recommend this series.
— The Protector by Cooper West which I enjoyed but not as much as I liked the second book in the series, Parker’s Sanctuary: A Guardsmen Novel. I’ll look forward to reading more in this series. This is a male/male paranormal romance series. I then went on and re-read Cooper West’s Rescued: A “Parker’s Sanctuary” Story (this is a prologue which is currently free to Kindle readers) and Parker’s Sanctuary: A Guardsmen Novel.
— RUSH by Emma Scott which I enjoyed. This is about a violinist (suffering through a difficult time) and a man dealing with blindness.
— Cambria Hebert’s Text (Take It Off Book 4). The first part of the book seemed sadly believable but then came aspects that require quite a bit of willing suspension of disbelief. (On telling my husband about those aspects, he said so much so that new shocks would be required!) I did enjoy reading the book, but I doubt it’s a book I’ll re-read.
— Fabricating Jada by Vanessa Marie. This was a pleasant read; it’s a new adult romance.
— re-read, with pleasure, Pretty Face (London Celebrities) by Lucy Parker and Oracle’s Moon (Elder Races Book 4) by Thea Harrison.
— For my book group: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. My, what a surfeit of semi-colons! What the book lacks, however, is chapters, and even page breaks are in short supply. At one point, I checked and there were some forty pages plus between page breaks. I would read along and be thinking, “My kingdom for a page break!” This was a dense read with multiple story lines and points of view. I don’t regret reading it, but I was happy to be done.
— a re-read of Ruth’s Bonded (Ruth & Gron Book 1) by V.C. Lancaster and the sequel (a new read for me), Gron’s Fated (Ruth & Gron Book 2). These are categorized as science fiction romances and were entertaining reads.
— Nathan Burgoine’s novella In Memoriam which I enjoyed quite a bit. It’s a short male/male romance that I’ll be re-reading.
— Sarina Bowen’s contemporary romance Shooting For the Stars which I enjoyed.
— the science fiction romance novella Jumping Barrel (Cyborg Sizzle Book 7) by Cynthia Sax which was a pleasant read. It would not make much sense if you haven’t read other books in the series. It’s currently free for Kindle readers.
— a fantasy book that had some unique world building: Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1) by Emma Hamm
— a(nother) re-read of Anne Bishop’s Etched in Bone and Vision in Silver. I’m not sure what needs of mine these books are meeting.
— Just finished the cyborg romance (yes, that appears to be a genre!) ~ Peyton 313 (Cyborgs- Mankind Redefined) by Donna McDonald. It was a pleasant read even though the heroine spent a lot of time crying and repenting her prior actions. This book is currently free for Kindle readers.
Last week I read KJ Charles’s The Magpie Lord
Yesterday I read the 2nd book of the Magpie series, A Case of Possession
And since last week I renewed my membership to the Bad Decisions Book Club and needed, NEEDED some sleep, I held off on starting the third book until today, Flight of the Magpies
I have figured out I love M/M historical romance
(I also reread Avon Gale’s Breakaway, m/m hockey romance)
@KateB I finally FORTIFIED myself and finished reading ASSASSIN’S FATE at 4am this morning where I bawled and then bawled some more. All of the things you mentioned (OMG, ALL THE FEELS !) and though the ending was beyond sad but also poignant, I could see how RH was trying to show us how people meet fatal ends sometimes in drawn out and protracted ways and how they focus on themselves or something else that isn’t you. Some of the Goodreads and Amazon reviews took her to task for being “too GRRM- like” but I think they forget about what happened in Regal’s dungeon, at Clerres before and also what happened to Paragon before Amber gave him Fitz’s face 🙁
All that to say that there were more tears and sadness because I’ve loved those characters for 20 years. I did like the ending, though. Spark on her way to becoming Kettricken’s Lacey, haha and I have high hopes that maybe like Verity, Chade, and Shrewd, we might see that wolf again in a future book. Thanks for commiserating with me.
Sigh. All these lovely recommendations adding to my endless TBR pile. I love the Bitchery.
For myself, I’ve been bingeing Georgette Heyer like she’s going out of style. Many of her books are on Kindle Unlimited (I could be wrong but I feel like that’s new?), so I signed up for the 30-day free trial, and I’m doing my best to read them all before my time is up. 😉 I’ve made it through maybe 8 so far and I’m loving them all. Just when I think I’m ready for a change, I read the first chapter and I’m like, “Nope, I still love this.” And then I settle down for Regency and humor and cuteness. I really enjoyed the Reluctant Widow this time around – kind of gothic and great interaction between the hero and heroine.
I also just got The Madness of Lord Ian Mckenzie from the library because of SBTB. I’m looking forward to starting that one!
So many books, so little time . . .
@Leanne H OHH I LOVE ME SOME MADNESS OF IAN MACKENZIE!!! The amount of fangirl flailing I did in my video review of that, like, I swear I went full obnixious happy!
You probably gonna have ALLLLL the fun with that book!
I finished The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan. It was one of those rare books that I could see how wonderful the writing was, but I just didn’t connect to the characters or their particular hang ups. I thought there was one too many obstacles and the book was about 50 pages too long. But I do want to read another Callihan to see if I find her other characters more compelling. I bought The Game Plan on sale a while back so that will be my next one.
I read Love and Capes Vol. 1, a comic that combines the superhero genre with sitcommy romance. I needed something light to read after consuming too much news and turns out my library had it. I really liked it. It’s so charming! I have now checked out Vol 2 but I’m saving it for when I need a break from the real world.
I just finished Oracle’s Moon by Thea Harrison. I loved this! The relationship between the h/h was so romantic. I really liked the hero being a Djinn. I’ve never read anything like it and now I’m on the hunt for more Djinn heroes. It was also a good reminder that I don’t read enough fantasy/paranormal romance and should try more.
I’m currently reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I’ve been trying to finish it for several weeks but right now I’m looking to reading to escape, not to add to my stress. So I’m slowly slogging through but I keep putting it down to go read something else. I need to finish it for a book club though.
Nancy, Thea Harrison’s Oracle’s Moon is one of my favorite books (in fact, I mentioned re-reading it above); I’m glad you enjoyed your reading of it. The main characters make an appearance in Thea Harrison’s The Wicked which is Olivia’s story. It’s one of the author’s long novellas.
If you find other enjoyable djinn stories, I’d love to hear about them.
I finally got my copy of Megan Whalen Turner’s Thick as Thieves (which I preordered in NOVEMBER, so Amazon thought I didn’t want it until several days after it was released…), so I am reading that!
I’ve also been listening to the audiobooks of the Mercy Thompson series and finished book five last night. My library doesn’t have book 6 on audio, so I started The Name of the Wind audiobook instead.
@BrooklynShoeBabe: “Size Matters” gave me SO MUCH RAGE. I actually wrote a review to submit as a Reader Rant (which I never submitted).
@Pamala – I loved that the ending and characters were all a bit frayed, it’s realistic, painful, and hopeful all at once.
Personally, I would love to see a story set a generation or three later, in the Mountain Kingdom or the OutIslands, or to see what Kelsingra and/or the “Realm” is with a firmly established dragon population. And then, maybe a wolf shows up… *sob*
Read some good stuff, and some not so good, but I LOVED Shana Abe’s Drakon series. I never spend $6.99 on e-books, but after the first one (discounted to .99), I couldn’t get enough and kept buying. I think I found out about it from someone’s posting here. It’s about a tribe of dragon shifters but the writing is so lyrical. I just really loved it and found it so captivating.
@Heather S Ok NOW I’M CURIOUS! I was live tweeting my book reading experience of Size Matters, but ended up dropping it because I felt the writing was more told, not shown. What made you rage hate on it. I might not have got far enough for the rage to be a thing so I’m super curious, if ya don’t mind me asking.
@Carrie-I adore Carry the Ocean. When Jeremey explains how it feels trying to deal with his issues, I cried for a long time, because someone finally articulated how I feel a lot of the time, but I never had the right words to explain it.
Recently read: Archangel’s Heart by Nalini Singh. I do love the Guild Hunter World, this continuation in a series was better than Allegiance of Honor in the Psy-Changeling world, imo. Too much going on in that book.
The Talented Mr. Rivers by HelenKay Dimon and Bad Judgement by Sidney Bell (M/M). Both alpha-type heroes protecting men who aren’t exactly as they seem. I’m struggling not to toss work aside and get back into Bad Judgement right now. It’s ratcheting up to the climax and I’m dying to know how it all shakes out.
After having a GREAT reading month in April, May has been a bit more lackluster for me. I read “Driven to Distraction” by Olivia Dade and “Before I Ever Met You” by Karina Halle, both of which I was thankful to have gotten from my library because I didn’t love either one. Driven to Distraction actually made me laugh out loud, but not in a good way unfortunately. I keep a spreadsheet of books I’ve read (I know, I’m a huge dork) and in my comments for that book it says “No. Just no. Like bad porn.” I read a couple of good category romances, and I finally finished “Strangers In Their Own Land” and “The Road to Little Dribbling” both of which I’ve been working on for a while during non-romance reading moments. Strangers In Their Own Land was mixed for me. I appreciated the idea behind it but I think I’m just not ready to try and reach a level of understanding with the people who voted for 45 yet. Still too much rage.
Now I’m reading “Suddenly One Summer” by Julie James as part of my plan to work through all of her FBI/US Attorney series this summer. So far it is smart and light and funny and I can’t wait to sit in an Adirondack chair on our neighborhood beach this weekend and read the heck out of it. I also have the new Sarina Bowen Brooklyn Bruisers book on deck, as well as another Kresley Cole IAD (#3 in the series, I’m rationing them out like M&M’s), and then got a TON OF AWESOME RECS from my Rec League question that was posted the other day, so I am hopeful for a stellar reading month ahead!
@BrooklynShoeBabe @Jacqueline and @HeatherS I also read (and hated) Size Matters a couple months ago. First the hero says a lot of mean-sounding things which we as the reader know he doesn’t mean, but the heroine doesn’t know what he is thinking, so I couldn’t figure out why she liked him. Second, the hero runs super hot and then super cold and I am like make up your freaking mind. Third, the heroine’s family dynamic is super messed up and I didn’t like how it was resolved.
@ Katie C et al
I am gonna have to send in my review later today, because what DIDN’T I hate about that book? I found a LOT of major issues with it.
So many rereads, so much of the time. Rinse & repeat over the past few months. I just need to be able to trust that I’ll get warm fuzzies from my reading.
A chance conversation between two of my Twitter friends had me grabbing Jennifer Crusie’s Getting Rid of Bradley. Fun! Just what the doctor ordered. 😀
@ms bookjunkie – that’s one of my favorite early Crusies! I’ve re-read the scene with the lumpy quilt so many times. It just melts me. I love that he trusts her intuition and teaches her to trust it too. So good.
I bought a different Heidi Cullinan book at RT and can’t wait to read! I just finished An Extraodinary Union by Alyssa Cole. I LOVED. It’s just the mix of historical and romance I like.
Just started “Brown Girl In The Ring” by Nalo Hopkinson.