Casee: I have not read one book this month. It’s pathetic. I was reading Going Dark by Monica McCarty, but I gave it a break. It is a possible DNF because of the politics in it. I really hate leaving books unread, so it’s highly possible that I’ll go back to it. Currently I’m reading Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh. Everyone loves her Psy/Changeling series (as do I), but the Guild Hunter series is my favorite. It’s gritty and powerful. I’m actually having a hard time getting into it. So I’m starting to think it’s me. Hello.
Holly: I’m on vacation this week (hooray vacation!). One would think that vacation would equal tons of reading time, but we’ve been busy snorkeling and swimming. I managed to read Archangel’s Viper this week. It was fabulous. I loved Viper and I especially loved Holly (I’m pretty sure Nalini Singh used me as her inspiration for the character. No big deal. I mean, she didn’t say so but it’s pretty obvious, right?). Next up is Spellbinder by Thea Harrison. If I don’t have time tomorrow I plan to read it on the plane home Sunday.
Rowena: It’s been a pretty busy week for me with prom last weekend and my kid’s graduation coming up next week. A lot of preparation going on (haha, not really), mostly it’s just me watching how to make money lei videos on YouTube, haha. I did manage to get some reading done.
To start the week, I read Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon for book club. That was a great re-read. It’s been so long since I read a Dark Hunter or rather, a Sherrilyn Kenyon book and I enjoyed it. What’s surprising for me is that my sisters really enjoyed it too. They enjoyed it so much that they’re both knee deep in the Dark Hunter series and they hate paranormal romances. Yay for book club changing their lives. Ha! After that, I read I Knew You Were Trouble by Lauren Layne, Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren, and Wired by Julie Garwood. I enjoyed all of the books and my favorite read of the week is probably I Knew You Were Trouble by Lauren Layne. Nick and Taylor were great and Lauren Layne once again made me thirsty for more Oxford stories so I’m a happy camper there.
Right now, I’m reading Some Kind of Hero by Suzanne Brockmann. I’ve only read the first chapter but I’m hopeful that I’ll enjoy this one too.
What are you reading this week? Any new favorites or books that drove you crazy? Share!
I had an excellent (for me) reading week, despite the fact that I also worked a lot. I read Feel the Burn by GA Aiken, which is part of her Dragon Kin series. You pretty much always know what you’re going to get with that series and as long as I’m in the mood for bloody, funny fairy tales I adore it. This one was no exception. I also read 2 HP’s because I had a major craving, Wedding Night for her Enemy (Milburne) and Doukakis’s Apprentice (Morgan), and both were enjoyable but nothing amazing. But my favorite reads this week were a new series I stumbled on called Blood of the Drakon by NJ Walters. I read the first one, and the immediately one-clicked the second one and read it straight through. It’s a paranormal series about drakon brothers (half human/half dragon shifters). It reminds me a bit of Rebecca Zanetti’s Sin and Gray Brothers series, because there are these devoted uber-alpha brothers being hunted for nefarious purposes, though these brothers can also turn into dragons, haha.
You sure did read a lot for having worked a lot too. Good for you. Drakon by NJ Walters sounds good. I’m going to check that out. Thanks for the book pimp, Jen!
I am really enjoying the series. The way I found it was actually through Netgalley, because book 3 is coming out soon. I wasn’t going to request book 3 since I hadn’t read the others, so instead I went and bought book 1. When books 1 and 2 were so good, I quickly requested the ARC of book 3!
I love when that happens! I hope Book 3 is just as good as 1 and 2 for you.
I finally got my hands on White Hot by Ilona Andrews this week and whipped through it. It will definitely be one of my top reads this year. Why aren’t there more books like that??? I have it on loan from the library, so I figure I’ll do a reread just before I have to turn it in. I’ve already ordered Wildfire which is being released on my Bday, so you know what I’ll be doing that day. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.
Holly, I’m jealous that you have a copy of Spellbinder. I can’t wait to read it although I’m a bit concerned because it sounds pretty dark.
Ooh, I’ve been hearing such good things about that Ilona Andrews series so I’ve got it on my TBR pile. I should be reading it soon. I’m glad to see that you enjoyed it.
Recently read here ~
— a re-read of Dark Horse (Class 5 Series Book 1) by Michelle Diener
— read and re-read Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata which is a new book by a favorite author. I enjoyed it even though it’s not my favorite of her books. It’s an epistolary novel in that the main characters are emailing/instant messaging for the first half of the book; they do not talk or see each other until well into the second half.
I’ve got my eye on Dear Aaron, too. Which one of Zapata’s books is your favorite?
Hmm, that’s a good question. I’d say it’s a tie between Kulti and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me.
I really need to get my butt in gear and read Kulti. My friend Ames has read that book a million times and I’ve yet to read it once.
If you do read it, I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Thanks, I’m sure I will.
Having to do this in parts as the site won’t allow me to post a long reply.
— The Japanese Lover: A Novel by Isabel Allende for my book group. This was a fairly easy book to read, and I finished it over the course of several days. It touched on a host of topics ~ the holocaust, the incarceration during World War 2 of Japanese Americans, child pornography, infidelity, and incest to name a few. The storyline was interesting, but I was left feeling unmoved — and I’m a person who could be compelled by another author to cry over the death of a goldfish! I don’t regret reading it, but it’s not a book I’d recommend.
— The Ribs and Thigh Bones of Desire: A Novel by Sandra Hutchison. This caught my attention because of its unusual title which, it turns out, comes from a Virginia Woolf quote. I enjoyed this (though it did have challenging content) and would happily read more by this author. It is fiction rather than romance.
Your book group sounds more mature than mine. We don’t read very many books that tackle heavy topics such as the Japanese Lover. Our books run more along the lines of Fantasy Lover and Night Pleasures and well, you know…haha.
I’m in my book group for two reasons ~ to socialize and to step outside my normal reading patterns. I’d happily join your book group though as I know only one or two romance readers in my offline life.
That’s great, I love being able to discuss the books that I read in real life and not just behind a keyboard so I love my book club. I’m sure there are plenty of romance readers around you and I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that you find them. We’re a great bunch! 🙂
We are indeed. (And modest, too!)
Haha, true!
Part three.
— read and enjoyed Kristen Callihan’s contemporary romance The Hot Shot. It’s book four in a series but can stand alone well.
— Just finished the male/male contemporary romance Wake Up Call by JL Merrow which I enjoyed.
I’m sorry you weren’t able to make a long comment. I’m so glad that Holly’s back from Jamaica, I’ll have her look into that. She’ll fix it, I just know she will.
I adored The Hot Shot too. It’s such a great story and Finn was a great hero.
I figured out that I am in a historical slump. Everything else I read is fine right now, but historicals take forever. I learned this catching up on some Theresa Romain books, all of which were really good, but they took me forever to get through.
I also read and loved Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne and Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren. I also read Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop which I had started in my big reading slump and only made it 30% through before having to return it to the library. This time around it went fast and I enjoyed it. The last thing I read was Twist by Kylie Scott and it was just okay.
I adored Walk of Shame and enjoyed Dating You/Hating You, too. Those books rocked my socks.
Sucks to hear about your historical slump. I’ve gone through those before so I hope yours doesn’t last long. There are plenty of great historicals for you to read. Have you read the latest Julia Quinn? How about the latest Lorraine Heath? Such great stories!