What I Read: January to March 2018

It's always been easy to tell what sort of mood I've been in based on the types of books that are on my completed list. Lots of romances? High stress time.

Plenty of mystery? I've probably been writing to meet a deadline and have been looking for something completely different.

Loads of history? Guess who's doing research.

January, February, and March (or Q1 for those of your who are business minded) was a mix of all of those things. I read a few standouts across several genres, and they're definitely worth a shoutout. Keep reading for those recommendations, and be sure to follow me on Goodreads and BookBub for more!

If you like your history glamorous...

The Riviera Set, by Mary S. Lovell

If you like intrigue on the high seas...

Dangerous Crossing, by Rachel Rhys

If you like gritty Western romance...

Cowgirl, Unexpectedly, by Vicki Tharp

If you like dark thrillers...

The Lying Game, by Ruth Ware

If you like your female detectives witty...

A Curious Beginning, by Deanna Raybourn

If you want to be swept up in a YA saga...

Hero at the Fall, by Alwyn Hamilton

Books for All!

So yeah, that was a longer blog hiatus than I meant to take. Sorry about that, everyone. The good news is that amid all of the day job and professional writer craziness, holidays, and family time, I actually got a lot of reading done. Several transatlantic flights will do that to a girl.

So here's a big, long list of what I've read recently and am happy to recommend.

Romance & Erotica

Agnes Moor's Wild Night

by Alyssa Cole

Amazon

Short and deliciously not sweet. This is a multi-cultural historical erotic romance set in Scotland, and I can't gush enough about it. The rafters of a great hall never saw so much action...

Radio Silence

by Alyssa Cole

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

I'm shamelessly plugging an Alyssa Cole that you can't read yet (sorry, not sorry). It's on pre-order until February 2nd, but I got an ARC and guys. Guys. I had no idea that I was into post-apocalyptic romance with hot Korean doctors, but I am. I really am.

Blamed: A Blood Money Novel

by Edie Harris

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

A little bit James Bond, a lot of hot romance with a sexy British hero. What more do you need?

Stripped (Volume 1)

by Alexis Anne

Amazon

We're several volumes into this very sexy rockstar romance from Alexis Anne. This is another I've been getting sneaky early reads of, and it's hot. Very hot. The hero, Travis, also has a knack for being sexy and tender at the same time. Perfect.

How to Fall

by Mary Chris Escobar

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

If erotic romance and rockstars aren't your thing, take a look at this book. It's a women's fiction with a sweet, slow burn romance that develops over a summer.

Literary Fiction

Dept. of Speculation

by Jenny Offill

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

I went on a depressing reading streak somewhere in late December-early January, and that's when I read this book. Yes, it's depressing (it's about the rise and fall of a marriage), but, man, is it good.

Dear Committee Members

by Julie Schumacher

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

An epistolary novel told entirely in letters of recommendation written by a cynical, sardonic, egotistical English professor at a second tier university. This book is a masterful send-up of academic life.

Nonfiction

My Salinger Year

by Joanna Rakoff

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

My Salinger Year manages to capture the feeling of being a twentysomething year old woman living in New York City, broke but hopeful (and in a terribly dysfunctional relationship with a man you know you won't wind up with). The writing is masterful. My sister and I both reached the 40 page mark before realizing that this is a memoir and not a novel. I didn't want it to end.

Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

To say that Outliers is out of my comfort zone is an understatement. Normally I would never pick this book up, but it was recommended so ardently that I took a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gladwell has an easy way with narrative, and his work makes you think about how you look at the world.

Inheritance: The Story of Knole and the Sackvilles

by Robert Sackville-West

Amazon | iBooks

I'm a sucker for family histories of the English aristocracy. There's enough scandal and bad behavior in this book to make parts of it read like a novel, and it has added interest in being tied in with the history of the house.

Bad Feminist: Essays

by Roxane Gay

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

 I love Roxane Gay's collection of essays on everything from feminism and culture to Scrabble and questionable adult life choices. Some of the essays work better than me for others. I tend to get the most from her personal anecdotes or reviews of works I've engaged with (The Hunger Games books and movies). Although Gay doesn't believe in trigger warnings, I will say that if you're sensitive to rape accounts you're going to want someone one to screen some of the essays in the Gender and Sexuality section.

October Reading Wrap Up

Sometimes you just need a good binge read. This month has been full of historical romances for me, and I've got a couple to recommend as well as a book that touches the paranormal, fantasy, literary, and romance genres.

The Duke and I

by Julia Quinn

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

I bow down to the mistress of Regency romance dialogue. That is all.

The Wicked Wallflower

by Maya Rodale

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Around mid-October I was looking for something fun to read. I picked up The Wicked Wallflower and subsequently binge read six of Maya Rodale's books in a row. I loved The Wicked Wallflower because it's fun, light, and features a pretty fantastic rake of a hero. There's also a Hunger Games-based house party which amused me to no end.

A Discovery of Witches

by Deborah Harkness

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

When a friend pops up on your gchat and demands that you read a book because she loved it so much and wants someone to gush about it to, you do. My friend Caitlin got lost in A Discovery of Witches, so I decided to give it a shot too. It follows a historian named Diana who is on a research trip to Oxford who calls up an enchanted manuscript. Diana is a witch and not happy about it, so she tries to ignore the manuscript but it sets a series of supernatural events into motion that she can't stop. Throw in an erudite, attractive, alpha vampire love interest and even I -- not known for being a huge vampire fan -- was sucked in. I bought the second volume in the trilogy on Tuesday and plan to use it as my post-NaNoWriMo reward.

September Reading Wrap Up

What a month! A mild summer here in NYC doesn't mean that the fall is any less welcome. It's my favorite time of year. The cool, crisp weather makes me want to curl up with a cup of tea and take a deep dive into a great book. With that in mind, here are a few of the things I've enjoyed this past September:

Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3)

by Lisa Kleypas

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Excuse me for a moment while I drop the professional author guise and go all fangirl for a moment. OH MY GOD, THIS BOOK. I'm not sure what prompted me to pick it up -- perhaps it was all of the people telling me over the years that I would love Kleypas' historicals. I should listen to those people more often.

This is a marriage of convenience story (which just happens to be one of my favorite tropes). Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent, is the perfect alpha hero. His alphaness is director more towards protecting the heroine, Evie, than being a bossy asshole. Even better, although Evie is quieter than her husband, she has serious backbone. The chemistry between them is electric, and it's wonderful watching their marriage of convenience turn into love.

Unlocked (Turner #1.5)

by Courtney Milan

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Courtney Milan is pretty much an instabuy for me at this point. I found this novella in the Seven Wicked Nights boxed set featuring a lot of my favorite historical authors. It tells the story of a heroine who has been bullied for years and the man who has to humble himself to win her heart. Since it's a Milan, there's no surprise that there's a good dose of science in the storyline as well.

Upside Down (Off the Map #1)

by Lia Riley

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

I'm not a very prolific New Adult reader. Usually the high drama and angst turns me off, but I found that this book has just the right mix of humor and drama. Upside Down also fills my recent cravings for romances in unusual settings as the action takes place in Melbourne where Talia is studying abroad. I'm lucky enough to have gotten an early read of book 2, Sideswiped, and I've got an author interview with Lia Riley coming up in a few days so keep an eye out!

A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death that Changed the British Monarchy

by Helen Rappaport

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

If you're feeling like some history, this might be a good place to start. Rappaport is a highly accessible writer who focuses in on a specific period of Queen Victoria's reign. The book focuses primarily on the death of Albert and Victoria's decade-long period of high mourning for him. It touches on the Victorian obsession with death and the various social and political issues caused by the queen's refusal to assume her public duties. If you're at all interested in the Victorian era, this is a good way to dive a little deeper into a fascinating subject.

Just a quick heads up. First Draught is coming up on October 7th. We'll be talking about revising that book you started but shoved in a drawer (or the deepest, darkest depths of your hardrive). RSVP here to make sure you don't miss out on the discussion!

Book Bundles Abound!

The wonderful people at iBooks have been featuring outstanding book bundles for 99c/99p to help readers in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand discover new authors. My debut One Week in Wyoming is included in this deal, but so are a bunch of really wonderful books. I just wanted to share with you a few of recommendations. All of these books have reached the top 100 paid books in the US at some point during this book bundles deal.

Historical

Seven Wicked Nights by Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, Caroline Linden, Sherry Thomas, Carolyn Jewel, Erin Knightley, Leigh LaValle

(I'm actually reading this bundle right now, and it is wonderful)

New Adult

Up All Night: A New Adult Collection by Erin McCarthy, Viv Daniels, Heidi Joy Tretheway, Ronda Helms, Lark O’Neal, PK Hrezo, KK Hendin, Shari Slade, J.L. Flynn, Jen Frederick

(I cannot highly recommend Shari Slade's novel The Opposite of Nothing enough)

Suspense

Danger and Desire by Amber Lin, Pamela Clare, Katie Reus, Dianna Love, Carolyn Crane, Kaylea Cross, Norah Wilson, Dee J. Adams, V.K. Sykes, Misty Evans

Contemporary

One Week in Wyoming by Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, Alexandra Haughton

YA

Breaking Ties (The Breaking Series, Book 3) by Tracie Puckett

(It isn't a book bundle, but I wanted to highlight my friend Tracie Puckett's new novel Breaking Ties which is a force to be reckoned with. It's been bouncing around at the top of the charts for the last few days, and rightly so. Tracie is a YA writer with a lot of EQ, and her stories are always gripping)

Happy reading, all!