There's a phenomenon that many authors experience, where reading for pleasure becomes difficult, if not obsolete. This can be for various reasons, whether we don't have the time, or we can't turn off the inner critic. I'm still reading, but I have to admit, it's not the easy, loving relationship I used to have with books. I know the pain of writing a book and, I'll be honest, my reading time is limited. If I'm not clicking with something, I'm a lot quicker to put a book in the DNF (Did Not Finish) pile than I've ever been.
But there are so many books out there that still make me sigh and squeal. I've been to several book-y events this year where the whole table just starts gabbing about their favorite authors and such and it's the best. There's a joy in book talk, in finding your people to book talk with.
So to combat the book ennui and remind myself of the things that I love about reading, I decided to start a (hopefully) monthly post about books I've read.
PLEASE NOTE: This will NOT be a review post, per se. If I do not like a book, or do not finish it, I won't write about it here. My taste is my taste and I respect authors too much to write negatively about their work.
I put together a list of four books that I've read recently and strangely, I noticed they fit into two very distinct categories.
ROYAL BOOKS
- by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks
royal we
I've been a long-time reader of
, a hilarious fashion blog by these two authors (and their intern George (Clooney, that sweetheart). This book is essentially a fictionalized account of Prince William and Duchess Catherine's romance, except in the book the heroine is an American exchange student who meets the heir to the throne whilst studying abroad at Oxford which is a super awesome fantasy that no girl in America ever has. *cough*
I would not call this a "romance" in the usual sense. Because it's essentially Wills and Kate (Nick and Bex in the book), we know they're getting married and having cherubic royal babies. The behind the scenes drama with the Pippa- like sister had me raging and the peek into the fashion reinvention of a princess was fun and fascinating.
This book would be an excellent movie and SURPRISE!
My girl Lorelai, I mean Lauren Graham will be writing the screenplay and her onscreen daughter (not Rory, the other one) Mae Whitman will be starring. LOVE. Can't wait for that.
(Oooh. Just noticed that they have the
first seven (7) chapters for free
on Amazon if you want a deluxe sample.)
- by Megan Mulry
royal pain
After I finished The Royal We, I decided I wanted a little more royal romance so I opened up A Royal Pain, which I've had on my TBR (To Be Read) pile FOR-EVER. Megan has been tremendously supportive of me and I adored her last contemporary release so I couldn't wait to get into her back list. If you like to read about the glamourous life, pick up a Megan Mulry book. Her descriptions of Valentino gowns, wines that I'll never be able to afford and ducal jewels kept in locked vaults are nearly as sexy as the... well, super-sexy scenes.
HISTORICAL ROMANCES
- by Courtney Milan
suffragette
This is book four of the Brothers Sinister series and I have no idea why I waited so long to read this. I flew through probably six or seven of Milan's books, the first three from this series and then her other series but not this one. Maybe I was sick or something. ANYWAY, I finally got to the story of Fredericka "Free" Marshall and it, like all of Milan's historicals is like a breath of fresh air. I don't know what it is, the Victorian time period, the forward thinking characters, the precise prose, but if you love historical romance or if you're looking for a nice romantic companion to a
check this one out.
-by Tessa Dare
scot ties knot
If I could, I would compose a sonnet full of my love for Tessa Dare books (unless that's creepy. Is that creepy?) I know I've posted on Facebook about her books and when someone wants a historical romance recommendation, Tessa is one of the top authors I recommend. I was lucky enough to spend some time with the fabulous Ms. Dare at a recent event and she is lovely, literate and can make you laugh AND cry - in a speech as well as in her books!
tessa bnr
I cried during this book, and it wasn't even at the half way mark. It was a good cry, there were good laughs. It's just plain good. If the title doesn't hook you, Tessa recently did
where she talked a little about her books and the plot .
I just noticed another theme with all these books. They're all set in Britain, mostly. Huh. Strange.
Alright, I'd love to hear what books you've loved and what you recommend to other readers. I have a HUGE TBR pile but I can always add on!
Cheerio!
prince harry