Best Books to Read Now: February 2016

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

So this last month has been a hard reading month. You'll notice that I'm not including four books and that's not because I didn't read four (or more) books, it's just I can't talk about all of them (*cough* RITA *cough*).

Hopefully next month I'll be right back to devouring my 2016 TBR pile, which will include diverse authors and genres to talk about! Yay!

But actually, this month's reads were pretty diverse. In fact, they're so diverse, I'm finding it hard to find a theme that will hold all of them. I have a memoir by an Indian-American actress/writer/producer, a paranormal about the Grim Reaper and an Italian literary novel translated into English.

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

mindy kaling

I've been a HYUGE (say in a Donald Trump voice) fan of Mindy Kaling since WAY back in the day. I even used to follow her shopping blog back before shopping blogs were a thing (like, circa 2004). I love her voice in her television shows (The Office and The Mindy Project) and I loved her voice in this memoir, as well. It was seriously LOL funny. I know, lots of people say that but trust me. I've also decided that one day Mindy and I will develop a project together. This is a serious Bucket List item, along with

1. *meet Dolly Parton,*

2. *see Hamilton on Broadway* and

3. *get my eyebrows on fleek.*

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones

eighth grave

I feel kind of dumb talking about this book, when apparently book #9 in this series was just released?  I don't know how I got behind, because I usually jump on new releases in series I love.  This is another book / series where I just love the voice (Wait....

I now know the theme for this entry. VOICE.  All of these books have great VOICE. Carry on.

Charley Davidson (the main character in this series, also known as the Grim Reaper) is one of those voices that can inspire me, make me laugh and make me feel immediacy.  It took me a little longer to get into this book, probably because I waited so damn long between books, but the cliffhanger and the way Ms. Jones wrapped up on plot point and jumped into a new direction has me so excited to pick up #9, The Dirt on Ninth Grave ASAP.

My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante

elena

Last month I mentioned that I had been invited to a real, grown-ass, booky book club. I was so excited! All of my other book clubs have dissolved like:

[embed]http://https://youtu.be/qkTzDh8IKNU[/embed]

This month's selection was MY BRILLIANT FRIEND and I'm still trying to process it. The voice is incredibly intimate yet distant, with a beautiful musical quality.  It's a story of a complicated friendship between two girls in post-War Naples and I flipped through the pages trying to figure out what was going to happen next, who was good, who was a psychopath, who was maybe a mentally ill murderer.  I'd love to discuss this one with more of you!

rushing cover

In case you aren't a digital reader, RUSHING TO DIE came out in paperback yesterday!  If you've read it (or any of my books), please consider leaving a review wherever you bought it.  I'm also giving away two copies on Goodreads and you have until February 14th to enter there!

As always, I'd love to hear what you've been reading and what you thought about it!  Leave a comment or hit me up on Facebook to discuss books, #mancrushmonday and more.

Best Books to Read Now: January 2016

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

I can't believe I actually read books in December.  All I remember of the month is unpacking boxes from Amazon and frantically driving around the county.  I swear, one Saturday I used a whole tank of gas, shuttling children (and myself) here and there.  No wonder I collapsed in a great heap after Christmas.

Anyway, I tried coming up with a theme for the month and it hit me: RETURN.

Let's see how that flows:

Love Me Sweet, by Tracy Brogan

love me sweet

This is the third of her Bell Harbor series, but it could easily be read on its own.  Unlike the first two, it's in alternating his/her POV's and it's about a reality show cameraman who

returns

to his hometown of Bell Harbor, Michigan and finds that his mom has rented his house to a (unbeknownst to him) reality show star runaway.  There's lots of snow (perfect for this time of year) and as always, plenty of Tracy Brogan humor.

Again My Lord 

and

My Lady, My Lord

both by Katharine Ashe

again my lord

my lady my lord

This author has really become one of my favorite historical authors and these two books are in her Twist series. I didn't know what to expect of this series or what differentiated it from other series but OH MY GRAVY (to borrow an expression from my friend

Alexandra Haughton

).  These are...different.  In a good way!  They are not your normal historicals, they each have a twist, perhaps sort of supernatural? wherein a goddess plays a little prank on the main characters.  Anyway, I don't want to give too much away (and when you read them, you'll see how my

RETURN

theme fits in here), but I thoroughly enjoyed these books and whenever the next one comes out, it will be a insta-one-click from me.

The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah Maclean 

rogue not taken

It's the

return

of Sarah Maclean! This is the first book in her new highly anticipated new historical romance series, which is being promoted as TMZ in Regency period.  This was a break from her last series, it was lighter and funnier and actually, I kept drawing comparisons between this and LOVE ME SWEET, above, which also has the hero and heroine on a madcap road trip.

RUSHING TO DIE by Lindsay Emory 

rushing cover

The

return

of

MARGOT BLYTHE

!    My latest was released on 12/29 and I'm so pleased by the response from people!  Yes, it's the second in the Sorority Sisters Mystery series, but it can be read on its own.  This time, the sorority ladies of Sutton College are preparing for Rush and when another dead body is found in the Delta Beta yard, lots of caffeine is needed to deal with the resulting craziness.

 Let me know what you've read and enjoyed lately and if you have any book reading resolution for 2016!  I'm pretty stoked that I've been invited to join a proper book club so who know what I'll be posting around here in the future? It could be this

baby book

Or this:

book chandler

See y'all next month to find out!

Balance and the Rock Star

I love the new year and the retrospectives and the planning and the beauty of a blank calendar. This year is no exception.  I've taken some time to go over 2015, thanks to these lovely printables at The Happiness Planner.  My answers to some of the questions were a little shocking, to tell the truth.

Without going into too much gory detail, I overdid 2015. Some of it couldn't be helped, some of it was all my fault. I've been battling a Cold from Hell (which would make a great band name, btw) for over a week and all signs point to the fact that my body has completely given out, surrendered, thrown out the white flag, etc. No matter how many supplements, vitamins and amino acids I choke down, they cannot undo the damage that 12 months of stress has done to my body.

Ironically (?), this was my goal for the year.  I was going to Dream Bigger. I still love that mantra. Looking back at my awesome writing spreadsheet, I estimate that I wrote approximately 325,000 words in 2015. That doesn't count words produced during edits, blogging, etc.   That doesn't count words that I produce in a very stressful full time day job.   This is a metric shit-ton of words, of hours spent at laptops, huddled over the ipad mini on the train, scribbling on notebooks.

As much as I love it, and while I now know I am completely capable of it,  I can't do this in 2016.

Not unless I'm having fun doing it.

That's what my reflections have shown me, in a striking black-and-white clarity.  I love having fun.  If I'm having fun, late nights and tendonitis and the strange looks of parents on the soccer field as I balance 300 pages of a manuscript-in-edits on my lap while sitting on the sidelines are all 100% worth it.

If I'm not having fun, well. It's just not worth it.  Pretty simple, right?

So for 2015, I am going to be a rock star. That's going to be me, up there on the amp, head banging and singing my heart out.  I'm having fun for the sheer fun of it. I'm going out with my girls, I'm supporting my tribe, I'm drinking wine, I'm writing the stories that make me feel like Mick Jagger, Beyonce and Taylor Swift all rolled up into one. I'm going on more roadtrips, seeing the ocean, basking in Broadway lights.  And in this, I believe I will find the balance that eluded me in 2015.

That said, I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED about some of the projects that are in the works and/or germinating right now. I wish I could tell you all about them, but until I get official go-aheads, please follow me on social media, or sign up for my newsletter so you can get the updates for 2016.  

I'm wishing all of you a very balanced and fun 2016.

P.S. Have you checked out RUSHING TO DIE yet? It came out this week!

Best Books to Read Now: December

BEST BOOKS TO READ NOW

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

I got through more books in November mostly because I was fortunate enough to escape to Napa, California for a long weekend right before Thanksgiving.  You may have seen some pictures (mostly of wine) on my

Instagram

but the weekend was more than just wine tastings. It was beautiful weather, good "old" friends, and going to bed early in the blessed silence of a Calistoga mountainside.

IMG_5192

Last month when I was writing up my books, I noted that there were some themes to my selections and I'm noticing the same this month.

Kissing Her Crush - Ophelia London

kissing her crush

I love this book for so many reasons, not least of which I had several good plotting sessions with Ophelia while she wrote this book over the course of a year.  It's exciting to see the things we talked about "come to life" and see how Ophelia embued them her signature flair (hint: Gorilla!) While it's not strictly a Christmas / holiday book I think it fits in perfectly with the holiday season with its themes of chocolate, family and love.

One Week in December -- Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, Alexandra Haughton

one week december

The "

One Week" crew

is back with this enchanting (and FREE!) selection of short holiday romances. I'm telling you, this was perfect for holiday travel - little bite sized pieces of holiday cheer. 

Pick it up (for FREE

) while you can!

The Best Man - Kristan Higgins

best man

This was my first Kristan Higgins book (I know! Where have I been?!) but she's been on my AUTHORS TO READ list since I heard her speak at an RWA 2014 workshop and THE BEST MAN won't be my last.  I literally devoured this in 24 hours after Thanksgiving, the day that will henceforth be known as The Day I Walked 5000 Steps In My Own Kitchen (thanks Fitbit for that data nugget).  Being drawn into the Blue Heron winemaking world (right after my own trip to Napa, no less) with all of the small town sweetness and family humor was ideal for a post-Thanksgiving escape. The digital version is on sale now for $.99!

Magic Shifts- Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels Book 8) 

magic shifts

So obviously, the accidental themes of my books this month have been sweet, family, romances. Does MAGIC SHIFTS fit in with that?  If you've read the first seven books of this series and if you're a major Kate Daniels/ Ilona Andrews fan, the answer is UM, YES.   If you haven't (and why haven't you?), then you might not understand that after seven Kate Daniels books and four more other books in the series the post-Shift world of Kate Daniels at this point FEELS like home and the characters at this point feel like family.  Am I stretching the theme at this point?

I am a big BIG fan of Ilona Andrews (the husband and wife writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews) and I've read EVERYTHING they've ever written. I'm such a huge fan that I had to stop tweeting Gordon because I didn't want to be one of those annoying fans that tweeted things like, "I like cake. Do you like cake? Want to be best friends? I can send you cake." I was sitting at the bar at RT this year with my agent and when I saw Gordon and Ilona across the room, I kind of forgot what I was supposed to be talking about, I was so star-struck.

Basically, I love them. I love their books. I recommend them. MAGIC SHIFTS came out this summer but because I didn't have enough time to really savor it, I saved it and when I got to Napa and heard the silence, I knew I could immerse myself in the latest installment.

If you want more information on this epic, sometimes-violent, sometimes-spicy, always entertaining series, hit me up and I'll talk your ear off.

SPEAKING OF SALES...

Add a little bit of body text

I have books too! 

KNOW WHEN TO HOLD HIM

is on sale for $.99... AND!!!

RUSHING TO DIE

is  releasing on 12/29 and available for pre-order NOW!!

rushing cover

I'm so excited for everyone to read the newest installment of the Sorority Sisters Mysteries.  Margot Blythe is back and preparing for rush (recruitment).  There are new characters, new challenges, but Officer Ty Hatfield, Casey Kenner and the ladies of Delta Beta are still there for Margot to boss around - I mean, motivate and inspire.

Sign up for my newsletter

because I'll be sending out a deluxe sample of RUSHING TO DIE before the release date!!

whaat

baby book

Best Books to Read Now

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

The Royal We

-  by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks 

royal we

I've been a long-time reader of

Go Fug Yourself

, 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!

It will be!

  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.)

A Royal Pain

- 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

The Suffragette Scandal

 - 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

Meryl Streep movie

 check this one out.

W

hen A Scot Ties A Knot 

-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

an  Avon podcast

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