Five Books Everyone Should Read is a new feature we’re running in 2015. We’ve asked some of our favorite authors, readers and bloggers to share five books that touched them or have stayed with them throughout the years.
It was really hard for me to pick my five books. There are so many great books out there. I don’t think that I would change these if I had a chance. I thought about throwing the Dictionary in there because I love the dictionary. I love just handing it to one of my kids if they ask what a word means. I believe a dictionary makes people smarter. Enough of that. Here are my top five.
Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunters, Book 1).
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible.
Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break.
Nalini Singh is a goddess of writing. I was obsessed with her from the day that Slave to Sensation came out. All her books suck me in at the beginning and spit me out at the end. I can’t stop thinking about the book for days. I knew that one of her books was going to be in my top five, but I wasn’t sure which one. It came down to Slave to Sensation and Angels’ Blood. The reason it tipped over to Angels’ Blood is because of Elena. Elena is a bad ass heroine that we should all aspire to be. She faced the Archangel of New York and didn’t even blink. No matter how infatuated he became with her, she was never unaware of how lethal he was.
Corporate raider Matthew Farrell had come a long way from the poor, scruffy kid of Indiana’s steel mills. A long way from the country club where, feeling like an outsider, he had dared to fall in love with a beautiful blonde named Meredith Bancroft, and known a once-in-a-lifetime passion and betrayal that sill haunted his memory… Now world leaders courted him, the media watched his every move, and he was ready to move in on the Bancroft empire.
A cool, poised executive in her family’s legendary department store chain, Meredith had once defied her father for the sexually magnetic, intense Matt Farrell — and their brief, ill=fated marriage was the disastrous outcome. Now, as the Bancroft firm is threatened by a hostile takeover, Meredith is forced to confront Matt. As tensions build between them, bittersweet memories rise to the surface, leaving them suspicious, restless, and uncertain. Will they be able to believe in each other — and grasp the tender miracle that is before them?
Judith McNaught holds a special place in my heart. Not just her writing, but how she can bring readers together. I’ve made life long friendships that began with the love of Judith McNaught. Paradise was the first JM book that I read, so I suppose it holds a special place in my heart. The strange thing is, I’ve only read it once and have no plans of re-reading it. Strange, I know.
Paradise is about Matt and Meredith. The were young and in love. They planned on running away together when they found out Meredith was pregnant. Back in the time this book was written, Meredith was from the upper class and Matt was from the working class. Meredith’s dad made sure he ended the relationship with such finality that he knew neither Matt nor Meredith would want to see the other again. They did find each other again. That’s what’s so great about JM’s book. The hero and heroine always find a way back to each other. It doesn’t matter if the odds are stacked against them. Matt and Meredith are one of my favorite couples in romance today.
In Death series by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts.
In a world of danger and deception, she walks the line–between seductive passion and scandalous murder…Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she’s seen it all–and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she’s going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire–and a suspect in Eve’s murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it’s up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about–except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.
If you haven’t read the In Death series, you are honestly missing out. When someone told me to try them, I wasn’t too impressed by Naked in Death. Then I read the next three books and I was hooked. How could I not be hooked on Eve and Roarke. They have both grown as characters since the first book. Eve hasn’t lost her aversion to being around people off the job, but she compromises for Roarke just has he compromises for her. Their marriage has come such a long way, just has they have. I am ready to see some conflict in their marriage again. It’s not all roses and we all know.
I’m reading Obsession in Death right now and I have no say, I don’t know how NR keeps this series fresh. I honestly don’t. The series should be monotonous by now. Still, I got it from the library late yesterday and have already read 200+ pages. I could tell this one was going to be good and it is. This series never disappoints. Except when it does. There are a few snooze ones in there, but NR makes it up with the next book.
The Secret by Julie Garwood.
Judith Hampton was as beautiful as she was proud, as purposeful as she was loyal. The dear Scottish friend of her childhood was about to give birth, and Judith had promised to be at her side. But there was another, private reason for the journey from her bleak English home to the Highlands to meet the father she had never known, the Laird Maclean. Nothing prepared her for the sight of the Scottish barbarian who was to escort her into his land…Iain Maitland, Laird of his clan, a man more powerfully compelling than any she had ever encountered.
In a spirited clash of wills and customs, Judith revelled in the melting bliss of Iain’s searching kisses, his passionate caresses. Perplexed by her sprightly defiance, bemused by her tender nature, Iain felt his soul growing into the light and warmth of her love. Surely nothing would wrench her from the affection and trust of Iain and his clan…not even the truth about her father, a devastating secret that could shatter the boldest alliance, and the most glorious of loves.
I’m not a Julie Garwood fan anymore. I’m only a fan of her historicals. The Secret will always be a special book to me because it caused me to seek out the Julie Garwood forum that used to be on the Simon & Schuster website. That’s where I met Holly. I think we’ve decided that it’s been 11 years now. I never thought I would meet my best friend online, but I did. Onto the book…
I loved Judith. I loved how she didn’t care that she was English in the middle of the Scottish Highlands. She did what needed to be done and that was that. Julie Garwood did write amazing historical heroines. They were strong, did what they thought was right, and just generally went along on their merry way. Iain was a great hero as well. They fell in love early in the book and both of them were horrified because of the English/Scottish thing. When you add in the Julie Garwood humor, this is a book you don’t want to miss.
Son of the Morning by Linda Howard.
New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard captivates readers in the deeply romantic tale of a contemporary woman who unravels an extraordinary mystery from the past . . . by living it.
A scholar specializing in ancient manuscripts, Grace St. John never imagined that a cache of old documents she discovered was the missing link to a lost Celtic treasure. But as soon as she deciphers the legend of the Knights of the Templar — long fabled to hold the key to unlimited power — Grace becomes the target of a ruthless killer bent on abusing the coveted force. Determined to stop him, Grace needs the help of a warrior bound by duty to uphold the Templar’s secret for all eternity. But to find him — and to save herself — she must go back in time . . . to fourteenth-century Scotland . . . and to Black Niall, a fierce man of dark fury and raw, unbridled desire. . . .
Grace and Niall crossed space and time to be together. ‘Nuff said.
So those are my top five? What are some of yours?
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