Weekly Reading Round-Up, Ask the Author, and Podcasts, Oh My!
There’s a lot going on right now.
You can find me (or, at least, my disembodied voice) over on Smart B*tches Trashy Books today, having a lengthy conversation with the ever fabulous Sarah Wendell about The Other Daughter, the 1920s, shell shock, character construction, Napoleon Bonaparte’s reading habits, The Lure of the Moonflower, Judith McNaught, what we’re reading now, and much, much more.
It’s also Ask the Author Day over on the Bubblebath Reader! Technically, it’s The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla Ask the Author Day, but, given that we’re a week past Other Daughter and a few days before Lure of the Moonflower, I’m happy to answer questions about those, too. Just don’t tell Sally. She might sic her stoat on me.
Last but not least, it’s Friday, which means… Weekly Reading Round-Up time! This week, I dug into the RWA goodie bag and read This Heart of Mine, by Brenda Novak, a contemporary romance about a wrongly accused ex-con who returns to her hometown to try to pick up the threads of her life and get to know the son she hasn’t been allowed to raise.
Then, inspired by NPR’s 100 Best Romances list (and a conversation with Susan Elia MacNeal and Lindsey Bingley on Facebook), I dug out Judith Merkle Riley’s The Master of All Desires and have been very happily chortling over sixteenth century court intrigue with more than a soupcon of the absurd. If you haven’t read Judith Merkle Riley… she’s the one who taught me that historical fiction could be funny. So, in a way, I owe the Pink series to her (and to Diana Gabaldon, whose Outlander, discovered shortly thereafter, confirmed the lesson).
While we’re discussing the Pink books, have I mentioned in the last five minutes that the twelfth and final Pink book is coming out in just three days?
What have you been reading this week?
I read
Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen
The latest book about Lady Georgie, before the new coming out soon. It wasn’t my favorite, but I liked seeing Georgie, Darcy and friends.
The Bungalow by Sarah Jio
WWII melodrama, which was good, but sad.
It Happened One Wedding by Julie James
First book I’ve read by this author (same is true of Jio). Really good contemporary romance, very Pride and Prejudice.
In the last couple of weeks I’ve read The Goldfinch Donna Tartt (LOVED), Cocaine Blues Kerry Greenwood (a little weak but I can see potential for Phyrne Fisher to become a series I love), The Blondes Emily Schultz, and Salsa Nocturnas Daniel Jose Older (very creative ghost noir, interconnected short stories). I also finally finished Wolf Hall and plan on watching the PBS version soon.
Listening to you right now!! Loving it!!!
Oh, and I am reading The Other Daughter, btw! Loving it too! 🙂
I absolutely loved The Other Daughter and am eagerly awaiting Moonflower.
I also read and enjoyed At the Water’s Edge, by Sarah Gruen and Karen White’s The Lost Hours
I read the latest Laura Childs contemporary Tea Shop mystery set in Charleston, S. C. – Ming Tea Murder, and it was a delight.
Finished the Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla with the BB read along – this was a delight over the past 11 months, and I loved Sally and Lucien.
Have started my third Sebastian St. Cyr, Why Mermaids Sing, and have become a fan of this series.
I did read Judith Merkle Reilly’s A Vision of Light long ago, and will have to check out others by her – all I remember is plague, plague, plague, devastating plague! Tough times to live in.
While I wait for the 4th season of “Sherlock” to be filmed, am reading the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. Am on the 4th book and love it! The author really captures the essence of the original series while also adding new characters and new adventures.