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I was going to post about branding this morning, but in lieu of recent events, I thought it would be nice if we just shared what we are going to be reading this week or this month. It’s the holiday time for the US readers as Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I hope to be getting in some serious reading. Right now, I’m finishing up Her Bedroom Surrender by Trish Wylie and because the book is so much better than it’s title, I play to read Her One and Only Valentine after I’m done. Heck I might be done with both by the time I comment on this thread.
So for those who are looking for a book to read this week or in the upcoming weeks, will you share with us what you are currently reading (and should we be reading it too?)
I’m reading Gail Dayton’s Heart’s Blood–so far, it’s even better than the first book in her steampunk series!
Right now I’m reading a historical category for review: The Viking’s Captive Princess by Michelle Styles. This is a story in a Viking setting and I’m really liking it, especially the hero and heroine. Still at the beginning (as I had some reviewing to get out of the way) but it definitely holds a promise.
After that I will be reading Laura Griffin’s Intraceable. I am a big fan of Laura Griffin who writes very good romantic suspense. This the first book of a new series that’s linked to her previous Glass Sisters 2-book series and I was highly anticipating it!
I have Moriah Jovan’s Stay waiting on my harddrive for me to get a spare moment to read it. I am very jealous of your holiday week – heavy duty week of work for me… sigh
I’m planning to start Waking the Dead by Kylie Brant today. It’s the third book in her Mindhunters series. I really enjoyed the first one (Waking Nightmare), but didn’t care for the second (Waking Evil)…YMMV.
After that I plan to read Cindy Gerard’s Feel the Heat. And at some point fit in a reread of Survivor in Death which I’ve been thinking about for a while now so I might as well give in. Oh, and The Lost anthology if Borders ever gets around to sending my pre-order.
For this week, I plan to read Eden Bradley’s The Beauty of Surrender and Stephanie Laurens’ Mastered by Love. Oh and I have Zola’s The Kill to finish if we are counting non-romance too.
well I don’t get Thanksgiving since I’m in South Korea and will be working Thursday, but I just finished the Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, today and immediately started on Catching Fire. I’m so glad that I waited until the second book came out before deciding to pick them up because when the first one ended I literally screamed and immediate, I mean seconds later started book two.
I would have never found this book were it not for DA, so thank you very much!
Holidays are a re-read time for me. Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl and Truly Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson. I want light and fun this week to counter all the menu-planning!
I’ll be reading my own manuscript, adding/expanding some scenes on the advice of my editor. *g* But if I unchain myself from the desk, I want to start C.L. Wilson’s Queen of Song and Souls and/or Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Tae, when I read the last page of Hunger Games, I had the exact same reaction.
I’m picking up Elizabeth Knox’s The Vintner’s Luck at the library today. I’m also reading a few m/m e-romances for review.
Even though I usually read historicals, for some reason, I had never read any Jillian Hunter books. Then I grabbed one over the weekend, and loved it. So now I’m reading several more. Highly recommend!
Sometime this week I know I am going to reread Lauren Dane’s TRINITY. (Now that I’ve read the Cascadia Wolves series.) But as Robin D. Owens’ HEART DANCE just arrived in the mail, I am assuming that it will be glommed just as soon as I get offline. Then, whenever I get to the post office to retrieve DEEP KISS OF WINTER by Kresley Cole & Gena Showalter (at least I assume that’s what’s in the package) it will be partay! time.
Hmm. All paranormals. What’s up with that? (I guess we can safely say that I’m not paranormaled out yet.)
I was going to start on the Tairen Soul series this week since I have all four books just waiting to be read, but it turns out the series is a quintet, not a quartet. So I’ve decided to see if I can wait for the fifth (and hopefully last) book to come out before reading the whole series all at once.
I picked up Bitten by Kelley Armstrong a couple of days ago based on SB’s post and I read it in like, 2 hrs, I loved it. I immediately went to pick up Stolen, I’ll be starting it today :D
I’ve also got Karen Ranney’s new one after that AND I picked up Roxanne St. Claire’s Hunt Her Down, she’s a new to me author so I hope I like it :/
I’m currently reading A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist. This is the first of her books I’m reading, but I can guarantee it won’t be the last. I’m loving this book. Next will be Where Dreams Are Made by Anne Hope and The Best Gift by Wendy Markham (I’ve been waiting for this one since I read the first book 2 years ago).
Rereading New Moon to retroactively make sense of the film, Black Silk by Ivory for Jessica’s book club at RRR, though it’s a slog and I keep reading other things instead, and The Penny by Joyce Meyer for my real life book club on Thursday. Best book of the week so far, Lev Grossman’s ‘The Magicians’. Wouldn’t be fair to call it Harry Potter for grown ups, but it’s got some sort of relationship to that group of books – Potter, Narnia etc. Older protagonist – magical university rather than magical school – hence a darker story, and different questions – what happens to magicians after they graduate? It does almost reference other books in the genre – e.g. there’s a land between worlds that is different but essentially the same as that land in the Narnia stories – but it’s worth reading in it’s own right.
I started Fade to Black by Leslie Parrish while I was getting my hair colored yesterday and it’s really good! I’ll have to be careful not to ignore NaNoWriMo or the turkey in order to finish it.
I just ordered Juliet Marillier’s HEARTS BLOOD (I think that’s the title?) so I’m eagerly awaiting that one to come in.
Just finished re-reading Kresley Cole’s WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT. Cole is one of my favorite re-reads.
I’ve just completed a marathon of all Lynne Connolly’s four Richard and Rose books. They are lovely and I’m in a bit of a daze not knowing what to read after them. I so enjoyed reading about a couple who really like each other adn work well together, supporting each other as well as being in love – isn’t that the relationship most of us would like to have?Unfortunately the fifth book isn’t going to be available until January.
I will probably have a complete change and read Cindy Gerard’s Show no Mercy. No holiday week for us here in the UK – I’m really looking forward to Christmas and the opportunity to indulge for hours on end.
Rachel
@Pearl: I just finished “Untraceable” myself and plan to try the Viking book soon. Are we channeling each other? ;)
@Rachel T:
Jane, Jan and I have been waiting for book five for, umm, 4 or so years now. At last the wait is almost over!
I’ve got plans to start Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changling series over the weekend, and also Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars series. For Christmas (because I’m blessed with two weeks off) I’m looking at CS Harris’s St. Cyr series and finishing up a couple historical series that I let slack.
I’m reading Scott Westerfeld’s YA steampunk novel, Levitation (so far, quite good fun) and Jess Granger’s futuristic romance, Beyond the Rain (Jane L swore up and down that I’d love it).
@Maili: OMIGOD, I did not swear that you wuold love it (did I?) I said that it had a lot of elements that you liked in futuristic romances. Now I am sure you will hate it.
Just finished Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts (Second in the Bride Quartet) and over all I enjoyed the book a lot. It’s just a good love story with no special effects, para normal activity, suspense, etc etc.
The only quibble I had was at the end over the “big conflict”, the way it played I found myself pissed off at nearly all the main characters in the book, most especially the Heroine who up until that moment I really liked. But it’s only a few pages in an otherwise well played love story and the culmination more than makes up for it.
It stands alone well but there are many references to the couple from the first book which I also highly recommend.
I just bought Stephanie Tyler’s HARD TO HOLD, which released today. It’s the first book in her new military romance SEALS series. I’ve been waiting freakin’ forever for this book so I can’t wait to dig in.
I also have Sarah Mayberry’s HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS downloaded on my iPhone to read due to yours and Shannon Stacey’s high recommendation. That’ll be my first holiday read after Thanksgiving is over. :-)
I’m currently reading Skin Game by Ava Gray.
My TBR is huge so I had to pick a few paper books to read as I travel/relax for the holiday:
- Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
- Queen of Song and Souls by CL Wilson (this site got me hooked with the first book)
- Can’t Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards (based on the rec here)
I also have backups on my iPhone – currently reading Songbird by Maya Banks.
I’m taking Josh Lanyon’s Strange Fortune with me in paper, plus a bunch of Hqn categories for the Kindle :)
Just finished Lisa Kleypa’s book Smooth Talking Stranger and I’m looking for the next book to read now. I have a YA fantasy I was thinking about reading. I can’t remember the name right now. Something about Dragons.
I got sucked into the TWILIGHT craze and hope to finish the book in the next couple of days. I have to admit that it has engaged my interest. I was shying away from the entire saga because I’ve never been drawn to YA books before.
Then in my TBR, I have: Jo Goodman’s NEVER LOVE A LAWMAN, Anne Stuart’s BLACK ICE and Jennifer Ashley’s THE MADNESS of LORD IAN MACKENZIE up next.
@Jayne:
Why, I think we ARE channeling each other ;)
@Jaci Burton:
I won the ARC this book here at DA (My thanks is still immense!!!) and read it a few weeks ago. I absolutely adored this book and am urging everyone to buy and read it. I think I am being very annoying today and people are going to want to avoid me and my fangirl behavior today.
Enjoy! It’s totally worth the wait! Totally!
I am starting Shoot to Thrill by Nina Bruhns, my first book by this author.
Over the holiday I plan on reading On the Edge by Ilona Andrews, a new paranormal that has some good reviews.
I enjoyed The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley, the main characters were very interesting.
This morning on the train, I started reading Robert J. Wagner’s autobiography, Pieces of My Heart, and now I want to skip out of work and read it all day. And stare at the cover some more.
I am reading “The Raven Prince” by Elizabeth Hoyt and Jane is to blame. I discovered Hoyt via one of Jane’s reviews. I am also reading (I tend to read 2-3 books at the same time) Susan Sizemore’s “Dark Stranger”, her latest in her Primes series. This one is a departure from the previous books in that it is completely stand alone and has a futuristic setting… I’ll leave at that, don’t want to spoil anything… but am also enjoying it quite a bit (Sizemore has been an autobuy author for me for a couple of years now).
I re-read all of Robin D. Owens Celta series after finishing her latest a couple of weeks ago. I so love this series… she’s also been an autobuy for me for quite a while. I remember that the first of hers I read, “HeartMate”, was out of print and I had to get it second-hand from Amazon, after a good friend recommended her to me. As a result, the cover is quite different to the newest ones. I like it though, because it’s the first cover for that book, even though the newer ones are nicer imho.
I’m reading Trick of the Light, by Rob Thurman. I was slow getting into it (for non-book reasons), but now I’m deeply submerged and resenting every little, trivial interruption (work, sleep, eating…).
I’m reading it on my Sony, and I’m finding books a whole different experience this way. I never realized what a flipper I was until it became inconvenient to do so. I’m ACHING to read the end, but it’s easier not to, so I’m chugging along like normal people.
Ok, the lone mystery reader here but I am really enjoying “Money Shot” by Christa Faust. I plan to tackle a dark faerie story next. I love dark faerie stories and the book in question is Blackbringer (Dreamdark) by Laini Taylor. All those glowing AMZN reviews makes me nervous and wary but someone else rec’d this book on Twitter so I am looking forward to reading it.
Yesterday I finished reading The Pirate Hunter by Jennifer Ashley. My lurve of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie has sent me careening through her backlist.
This morning I started reading Mr. Fix-It by Crystal Hubbard. It’s a multi-cultural/interracial romance. So far, so good.
I seem to go in cycles with regard to print versus ebook and right now I’m in a print phase. I’m reading Magdala by Valerie Gross.
I’ve read three erotic romances straight in a row (all in print):
Just finished Portia DaCosta’s In Too Deep (very sweet and funny), right before that, Jackie Barbosa’s Behind the Red Door (hawt), and the one before that was Sabrina Darby’s On These Silken Sheets (fabulous).
So I needed a little break. I’m going to finish Fight Club after Magdala.
I am currently reading BLIND-DATE BRIDE by Jillian Hart.
After that it is on to “Christmas-y”books. :) Afterall, tis the season!
Just read Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, and am ready to devour the rest of the series.
Also recently bought Instant Attraction and Instant Gratification on your recommendation by Jill Shalvis. I loved Get A Clue and am looking forward to this series as well.
Next up after that, JD Robb’s latest. Can’t remember the title, can’t keep up with those titles. Still love her books though.
I finished Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole and Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost this weekend. Enjoyed both of them. Though after Demon King, I really want to read Lanthe and Thronos’ story, although I see from the Amazon listing that they are not the couple in Pleasures of a Dark Prince.
I’ll probably read Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong or Rachel and the Hired Gun by Elaine Levine next, or I have about 15 other books in my TBR pile to choose from …
I just finished Nora Robert’s Bed of Roses and I loved it. There were some parts I was like “eh?” on but overall great funny book. What really killed me was the preview of the next book which got me so hooked that I’m dying to read now. Sucks.
I'm reading C.L. Wilson's Queen of Song and Souls. I really like this series; the mixture of high fantasy and romance is well done and the world-building is solid. I probably wouldn't have even heard of the Tairen Soul books if I hadn't seen them recommended on DA.
After that, I'm not sure. I started the month with a case of Swine Flu that has sometimes left me too tired to read. (I didn't even think that was possible.) I do have Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh sitting on the TBR.
Right now I’m in the middle of Ariel Tachna’s Reparation in Blood, the fourth of her Partnership in Blood series. She has an inspired touch for characterization, and the setting in Paris is a nice change of pace.
Am also in the middle of Cynthia Edens Hotter After Midnight which I got as a free Kindle download, but it’s unlikely that I’ll finish it. The hero is overbearing, the heroine is spineless, — and am I the only one who’s sick and tired of gyno-centric descriptions of female arousal? Enough with the gushing, pouring, creaming, and gods-knows-what-else-ing already! Are there any PNR or contemporary authors who don’t do this? Between the ditz factor and the fluid levels, I’ve pretty much switched totally to m/m.
Speaking of which, my post-Thanksgiving meal digesting time will be spent in a happy re-read of ZA Maxfield’s The Long Way Home. An auto-buy author with killer plots and deep, fully-realized, memorable characters.
I’ve been on a Sarah Mayberry binge…yes, it seems I have been living under a rock to only just now discover her. Heh.
Oh this is nice, seeing what everyone is reading.
Unfortunately, I can’t take a complete break this Thanksgiving and read, at least not for pleasure, since finals (law school) are bearing down on me like a boulder rolling downhill.
But I do have 16 hrs of driving time to go home for the holiday, so after some recs from Angela James yesterday for older romantic suspense, I downloaded a couple audio books: Dark Horse by Tami Hoag and Lost and Found by Jayne Ann Krentz (Unfortunately, they didn’t have any of the Krentz titles that Angela recommended available as audio books so I picked this one…hope it’s good!).
Audio books aren’t my first choice, but it’ll be nice to get my romance reading fix. :)
I am currently reading Jillian Hunter’s “A Wicked Lord at the Wedding.” I love her! This is the last (I think) Boscastle sibling. Although I would like very much to read a book about Gabriel’s story, has she wrote one? If she has please let me know.
Over Thanksgiving I will be starting the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries by C.S. Harris…I’m very excited.
I’m finishing up Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson and then am deciding between Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory and Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh. Historical or Paranormal? Which one will reign supreme?!
I’m reading Niobia Bryant’s Make You Mine (so far, a fun read) and Laura Kinsale’s My Sweet Folly (so far, love Folie). In non-romance, wading slowly through The Ethics of Autism (philosophy is so not my thing, but I hope to get a little insight from it) and Dave Hickey’s Air Guitar (from the essays I’ve skimmed, it looks like it’ll be an interesting take on some American subcultures).
I absolutely refuse to admit to how many new books I’ve bought in the past week. No sane person would believe it. It’s obscene, really. And, thank God, tax deductible.
So what am I doing? Rereading Hidden Talents by Jayne Ann Krentz, since I also bought a metric ton of her backlist in digital format on Fictionwise last night.
In the new, I want to read this weekend category I have: Hard to Hold, The Better Part of Darkness, and Three Days to Dead. Oh, and After the Night by Linda Howard since Jane MADE me buy it last night, since I’ve apparently somehow missed reading it.
@Maili is it Leviathan you’re reading? I went searching and that was the closest I could find. I’d be curious to hear if you like it. I’ve often thought of trying his books.
@Jane:
:D I’m liking it so far, actually. Shocking, eh?
@Angela James:
Oh, sorry! You’re right, it’s Leviathan. It’s the first Westerfeld I read. I’d just finished it, actually.
Although it took me a bit to get used to the illustrated book format (as it’s been ages), I found it highly enjoyable. The main female character – Deryn – is Scottish (yay!) and a fantastic role model for young female readers. The main male character – Alek – is curious, adventurous and sometime reckless, but easy to like. While both were a bit cardboardy in some aspects, they were easy to root for.
The whole story is a fun and highly imaginative adventure with interesting conflicts/contrasts of history and future, and science and technology, male and female as well as certain social classes and powers. And animals and machines, of course.
Downside? I disliked the cliffhanger ending. When I reached the end, I actually shouted, “Burn in Hell, Westerfeld!” and then went online to see if I could pre-order the next volume. :D
Ack, I got carried away, sorry. In short: yes, it’s worth getting.
Hahaha. Okay. I’ll wait then. Thanks for the mini-review!
I am currently taking another stab at Meredith Duran’s Written On Your Skin. I hit a sticking point and abandoned it for a couple of weeks (okay, maybe months), but am willing to give it another go since I so much want to love it.
Also, just finished the audio of Robert Goolrick’s A Reliable Wife, historical fiction set (primarily) in 1907/08 Wisconsin. Very Shakespearean tragedy and AWESOME. But don’t worry–there is an HEA, of sorts.
This might be a tad off-topic, but I’m reading a fabulous non-fiction book right now. “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” a Pulitzer winner by Gordon S. Wood is a study of colonial society and politics in the American colonies in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Very informative work offered in an engaging style.
Next on my pile, Heyer’s “Regency Buck.”
I was at Borders this morning to pick up some of today’s new releases. I found 1 copy of The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay. (It looks good, so I can’t figure out why the store only ordered one.) I also picked up Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the latest Victoria Holt reissue, Lord of the Far Island, which releases today. That’s the book I wanted to read over the holidays. But Tae’s comment above about The Hunger Games made me push my copy to the top of the pile, so maybe I’ll start reading that tonight.
LJ, your buy list sounds much like mine!
Re: Hunger Games. It was one of those books I found compellingly readable, and I could totally see why people loved it, though it wasn’t something I personally would read it.
I just finished Martin Fido’s History of British Serial Killing. He tries to find a new angle on some of the most written about serial killers in Britain. To some extent he succeeds but most of the majors have had “the book” written about them already.. I also recently finished listening to Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals. I only discovered Pratchett a little while ago and I have a lot of catching up to do.
Next I am going to start Dead Man’s Boots, Mike Carey’s third Fix Castor urban fantasy mystery. I held out until audible had the book for download because I like the narrator. I like this series oceans better than the Dresden Files.
Or maybe Charlaine Harris’ Grave Secrets , latest in the Harper Connelly series. I always like her less popular series for some reason. Grave Secrets is also available on audible.
I’m just not in the mood for romance right now.
@Rachel T: Did you see that she has two short vignettes for her Richard & Rose series on her site, which take place in between the books?
At the moment I’m reading and enjoying Lace for Milady by Joan Smith, recommended to me on this site. I also really enjoyed On the Edge by Ilona Andrews, and the excerpts for the second novel with William as a hero are making me yearn for more. I utterly loved Wedding Bell Blues by Meg Benjamin (why aren’t her contemporaries in print as well as ebook? – then again I bet Samhain will eventually have a print editon), there’ll be a third Kongisburg ebook out in December, focussing on Lars.
Also recommended by DA I jumped into all three Phoenix Rising novels by Denise Rossetti, Ellora’s Cave, she really knows how to combine erotica with an actual interesting fantasy plot and quirky & lovable characters. I liked Tailspin better than Strongman, by the way.
And I read some pure fantasy, too. And some manga, for that matter.
@Gina:
You know that was exactly my reaction, I thought the hero had totally believable problems and the heroine until then had shown patience – I think if she had used another 50 pages to move the relationship a bit further along in time it would have been more believable that the heroine lost patience with Jack.
I do think Nora Roberts is getting ever better with the comedy and friend interplay among the group, and I loved the soccer references ^^ – finally the US is catching up to the rest of the world with regards to that particular game.
I’m flying home for Thanksgiving tomorrow and I’m taking Wanted Man by Ellen Hartman to read on the plane.
I also turned my mom on to Kathleen Gilles Seidel’s books, and she bought Seidel’s entire backlist, so I’m planning to go on a little glomming spree when I get home. For anyone who’s looking for some lovely holiday reading you couldn’t do better than Seidel’s Again and Till the Stars Fall.
I also wanted to dig out my copy of Good Omens and Lord of the Rings because I’ve been reading Paradise Lost and I keep being reminded of those two books for some reason.
Currently reading A Christmas Ball . Hoping to catch up on some YA, SFR, and HP reading over Thanksgiving and finally load my ebooks onto my Sony 505.
I’ve just started Gotcha! by Christie Craig. This is my second book by this author. Have already read Divorced, Desperate & Delicious, and Divorced, Desperate & Dating is in my TBR pile.
Just finished Temptation and Surrender by Stephanie Laurens. My first (and probably last) book by her. I picked it up at Fictionwise due to their 100% rebate, figuring I’d give her a try. But I really wasn’t that into the book. Found her writing style a little distracting.
I read this one last month and enjoyed it. But I’ve really been looking forward to the second book in this series — If Looks Could Chill due out next week. It takes place in Louisiana and features a Cajun hero. I’m addicted to books set in Louisiana, especially Romantic Suspense.
I blame Linda Howard… two of my favorite LH books were set in Louisiana — Kill and Tell and After the Night (which features one of my all-time favorite heroes).
And Marilyn Pappano… her Southern Knights series, which took place in New Orleans, is one of my favorite Harlequin/Silhouette series.
Brooksse,
Love Cajun heroes too! After the Night and Kill and Tell by Linda Howard are also favorites of mine. Another great one is Lucky’s Lady by Tami Hoag.
@Moth: Glad to hear the Seidel-fest continues!
@Melissa:
Thanks! I’ll go check it out.
I just started reading The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie and I’m glad of it. I’m new to historical romances and this started just brilliantly.
For the holidays I hit the eHarlequin store and ordered a bunch of their Christmas books. I’m a total holiday ho-ho-ho and will spend the month of December reading Christmas romances, watching Christmas movies and being a big soppy sap.
I am currently reading a YA book called Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger. It is the story of a seventeen year old girl who begins to want to know more about the grandparents her mother is estranged from, and about her Indian heritage, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. So far, so good; I plan to post a review when I am finished reading.
I’ve got Moriah Jovan’s new book “Stay” to read when I get over being sickly. Just browsing thru it I was very entertained by her choice of chapter titles. I’ll dig into is as soon as I’m not doped up to the gills with meds.
I also went crazy at amazon with the free downloads using the instructions in the Dear Author November 23rd post. I found 14, all but 2 were free, the 2 I paid for, one was 68 cents and one was 2 .79. That’s a lotta reading material for less than 4 bucks.
Off topic kinda .. Speaking of Kindle, the man was playing with my ipod touch and I caught him reading “Bound for the Holidays” by Mackenzie McKade which was free last month I think, anyway he gives me this narrow eyed look over his glasses and says my reading choices frighten him LOL. Scaring the man is worth paying money for in my opinion extra points for scaring him for free!
I’m reading Burn by Linda Howard, which has a weird set up .. but eh I’m reading it to see when the Hero caves in.
Just finished Again by Kathleen Siedels? And that was completely awesome, a book within a book almost, love those things. And the Harper series by Sookie Stackhouse author(I forgot her name), which I like better, but I’m afraid that 4th book was the end with the resolution.
Apparently I was in the mood for m/m this week:
Dangerous Ground by Josh Lanyon
Lone by Rowan McBride
Faith and Fidelity by Tere Michaels
All three very good reads, in very different ways.