Weekly Reading Round Up
Hello from the Romance Writers of America convention in California! It was so great to see some of you at the signings on Wednesday and Thursday.
It’s been a Susan Elizabeth Phillips week for me: her latest, Great Escape
What have you been reading?
Hey Lauren, having fun in CA? I am on the Westside which is soo very far away, but not.
I just finished “Great Escape” last night. I liked it more than I thought I would. The supporting characters were the best.
I also read Ruthie Knox’s “Ride with Me” and I loved it! Lots of fun to read.
Deborah Harkness’ lastest was a HUGE disappointment. I had such a good time reading the first book, falling for Diana and Matthew. I am hopeful though about the third book.
I read Loretta Chase’s “Scandalous in Satin” last Sunday sitting outside under an umbrella at The Water Garden. The reviews have been mixed, but I really enjoyed it, she’s such a good writer.
I read many books this week that were only okay. Nalini Singh’s “Tangled Up”, “Moonshell Beach” by Joann Ross and two books in Janet Chapmans’ Spellbound Falls series. And last but not least the 6 book series “Becomes Her” by Shirlee Busbee.
Man, I love the LAPL Overdrive catalog, it’s the best. I just downloaded a slew of books by Adele Ashworth, Judith Ivory, Barbara Michaels and Barbara Metzger. It’s going to be a reading weekend for me.
Have Fun in SoCal.
I’ve been rereading Susan Elizabeth Phillips this week to: Match me if you can and now half way through Natural Born Charmer.
I’ve been rereading Susan Elizabeth Phillips this week too: Match me if you can and now half way through Natural Born Charmer.
Leslie, sorry you didn’t like Shadow of Night, I liked it a lot better than the first. So yeah, finished that book this week, and then got to go to a talk and signing Deborah gave, which was totally cool.
I also finished the 3rd Paul Magrs Brenda & Effie book which was awesome.
Now I’m reading Middlesex for bookclub and finding it quite boring.
I have been in the
mood for historical thrillers and read 2 of Clive Cussler’s Isaac Bell books, The Spy and The Chase. Must confess, I really enjoy these.
I recently came across the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. That was a fun series. I listened to Match me if you can twice! 🙂 Now I am ready for a new series, any suggestions?
Compared to the last few weeks, I mananged to do a lot of reading this last week! I finished Black Tulip, I read Kerrelyn Sparks’ latest in the Love at stake series (which I enjoyed, although I have to admit that it lacks the funny replica of the earliest installments), I read Jenny Han’s The Summer I turned pretty, which was ok, and I’m now making my way through The Selection, by Kiera Cass… not bad, although dysopia is really not my thing… 🙂
I read The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry. I love books where modern characters solve history’s great mysteries (this is a big part of the appeal of the Pink Carnation books!). The Columbus Affair was very well researched and written, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of his earlier books. I think my lack of enthusiasm had more to do with the fact that I am not that interested in history dealing with Columbus than with the actual story.
After The Columbus Affair, I started reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I got about two hundred pages in before I decided that I really wasn’t in the mood for a thoroughly dirty book that glorifies a very negative relationship. Decided that I had read enough to satisfy my curiousity to allow me to state that I really didn’t like it without feeling narrow minded for not at least giving it a chance.
Just started reading Crystal Gardens based on the recommendation I found here and have great hopes that it will purge Fifty Shades of Grey from my memory!
Leslie, sorry that you were disappointed in Shadow of Night. I thought it was really good, but I can’t wait for the third one!
I read Joshilyn Jackson’s latest last week, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty, which was full of suspense and emotional surprises, and as usual, delightful.
I’ve read a few Nora Roberts’ oldies and Meg Cabot’s latest, Size 12 and Ready to Rock. I also dug into Under the Tuscan Sun, which was really good!
Next up, I’ve got an Agatha Christie classic, and The Distant Hours by Kate Morton.
I love these posts because I get some great ideas for new authors – thanks, Lauren!
I didn’t care for her representation of the real historical characters, especially Marlow. The surprise visitor towards the end really bug me. And mostly, I’m not a big Tudor fan. I did love the witches, Goody Alsop was wonderful and the weaver explanation was truly inspired. Lastly I didn’t like that it was a kind of cliffhanger! So all in all it was my personal reading preferences and not the story or the writing. I believe it got the job done setting up for the grand finale in the next book. I have so many questions about the whys, whens, hows and why nots!
Harkness is a wonderful writer, I am glad Eliza that you got to meet her. Though miles apart she and I work on the same campus, I hope to run into her in the future in a sorta casual way.
Have a fun weekend!
I meant to start with @Lindsey and Eliza.
OOPS
Oh, Leslie, I will agree with you on the representation of real historical figures. I loved her own characters, the wicthes and Jack far more than anyone real. She just didn’t capture them right.
After a restless week when nothing I picked up (books or knitting) could hold my attention, I have finally settled into The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. It is from such a different era it seems to be just the ticket.
Finished “Washington Square”. Starting “Lafayette” by Unger.
I’m reading the one (I think) that started it off for Georgette Heyer: The Black Moth. I take it this is her very first Regency romance and I’m enjoying it as well as the other 22 I’ve read of hers.
i have been reading (from what i have heard) is a dystopian version of Jane Austen’s Persuasions. Interesting right? It’s called Darkness Shows the Stars 🙂