Holiday Reads!

Well is everyone ready for the holidays? I hope you all have the best of holidays with your families. I'm preparing myself for a few days of rest and relaxation, and am hoping for a quiet celebration with friends and family.

December has not been a great reading month for me, so hopefully this next week will yield a few hours where I can sneak away and read a few Christmas or holiday-themed books. I'm in the mood for those this year.

I'm planning to read, or re-read some old favorites and/or books that I've had in my TBR for a while. 

• A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh will definitely be a re-read! I read it back in November when it was first re-released and recommended it as an excellent read. This is a Christmas historical romance full of family joy, warmth and traditions. I think this magical story should really be enjoyed during this week and plan to do so. 

You can read a full review of this book here.

• Next on my list is a book that I first read about two years ago in 2008. A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr is a short story that truly embodies everything you'll find in that series: strong females, dedicated male characters with a service or military background and healing storylines. This was the first story I read by Robyn Carr and the one that "hooked" me into reading her Virgin River contemporary romance series. 

You can find an excellent review by JillD who reviewed this novella recently at Romance Rookie.

As far as new reads are concerned, there are two on my Kindle that I hope to read this weekend. These are books that were previously released, but that I'm getting to now:

• Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh is a collection of short Christmas novellas and one of those older Signet releases by this author that I've been wanting to read for a while. I'm sure that some of stories will be better than others, but since this is Balogh and I love her 'true to period' writing style, I'm really looking forward to reading them. The short format to the single stories are perfect for this week. I can read one or two and continue if there are interruptions. Perfect! 

For this book I found an excellent review by The Romance Reader for you. Or you can always check out  different opinions at Goodreads. 

• The Heart of Christmas with Mary Balogh, Nicola Cornick and Courtney Milan is a book I featured last year as one I wanted to read. Well, this was one of those books that I never got to, and I'm definitely reading this year! These three wonderful writers are not to be missed, and I hope to enjoy every single story. 

There are many reviews for this book and most of them seem to be on the positive side. Here is one by AnimeJune from Gossamer Obsessions.

• For those of you who love the LGBT M/M romance sub-genre, I cannot recommend enough the His for the Holidays anthology featuring Mistletoe at Midnight by LB Gregg, Nine Lights Over Edingburgh by Harper Fox, I Heard Him Exclaim by Z.A. Maxfield and Icecapade by Josh Lanyon. There's something for everyone in there. I don't know if I'll have the time to re-read this whole anthology, but I'll sure try to at least re-read one or two of my favorite stories. Complete review here. 

My plans seem overly ambitious and I just noticed Baloghs are prominently featured! But hey... I do love her writing and her Christmas stories. What are you planning to read over the Christmas holidays? Romance? Paranormal? Sci-Fi? Urban Fantasy? Or like me, are you hitting the those holiday-themed stories?

Blogger Friends, Books & a Grrreat Time!!

This was Columbus Day weekend, and Monday was a holiday for some of us in the States. It was also Thanksgiving in Canada. I hope all our Canadian friends had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry I'm late wishing you all a happy holiday but I was quite busy! I had a terrific holiday. A few weeks ago, Nath told me that her sister Emilie wanted to spend a weekend in New York City for her birthday. The two of them planned on driving down from Canada, and it just so happens that I live right across the City! So we planned and plotted and after a few bumps (Nath got sick!) next thing we knew, they were down here and we were having a wonderful time. We walked, walked and walked some more in NYC and we shopped, shopped and shopped some more in New Jersey (well, they shopped... I dropped, lol). Then Christine joined us Saturday afternoon and we had a great evening, book shopping (Nath can really book shop!), discussing books and we had a nice dinner by the Hudson River.

Nath and Emilie!

Nath is just so lovely! And Emilie is the sweetest... my family and I fell in love with both of them. Nath came bearing gifts -- books of course! She knows that I'm about to go on a Jennifer Crusie reading binge and brought me some good ones, plus! Here they are:

• Jennifer Crusie: Strange Bedpersons, Getting Rid of Bradley, Man Hunting, What the Lady Wants, Fast Women, Trust Me on This, Anyone But You. I can't wait to get started on these!

• Carolyn Brown: One Lucky Cowboy, Lucky in Love. I've been wanting to read these books by Carolyn Brown for since last year! I saw Leslie's great review for One Lucky Cowboy and wrote the title and author down on my TBB list. Now I can finally begin the series. 

• Cherry Adair: Edge of Danger, Edge of Darkness, Edge of Fear. I'm curious about this series and Adair is another one of those authors I just keep bypassing... so this is my chance! 

• Anne Bishop: The Tir Alainn Trilogy (The Pillars of the World, Shadows and Light, The House of Gaian). This is another series I've had on my TBB list! AND, I have the Black Jewels Trilogy by Bishop in my TBR pile already, so yes... I'll be reading Bishop.  

Thank you Nath for your generosity!

Of course, I had to buy some books when we went to Borders, but I was GOOD! I only bought the books I had on my list for September and October. :)

• The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook... (Yay, I finished reading this one already!)
• Killbox by Anne Aguire, FINALLY more Jax!
• Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews... OMG, I can't wait to read it! 
• Double Cross by Carolyn Crane... more Justine! 
• AND, from the books I highlighted in my Cowboys & More Cowboys post, I chose to buy Cade Coulter's Return by Lois Faye Dyer in print. 

I loved meeting Nath in person and I know we'll be seeing more of each other in the near future. :D Thank you for everything Nath and Emilie, I had the best of times! AND, I hope you had a good time and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILIE! 

Thoughts on Banned Books Week

It's National Banned Books Week (September 25 - October 2, 2010). This is a subject that resonates with me personally. I was born and until age 12 lived in a society where books were (and still are) heavily censored. So as a young adult, and to this day, having the freedom to pick up a book, any book, of my own choosing that focuses on subjects both orthodox and unorthodox, is a joy. It is a right that I value highly, treasure daily and one that I want my children and grandchildren to have in the future.

The American Library Association put together lists of the Top 100 Challenged books by decade for 1990-1999 and 2000-2009, plus the Banned Classics List. After going through all three lists, I noticed that although I haven't read many of the titles in the first two lists noted, I have read about half of the books included in the Banned Classics List, and still own most of them.

I couldn't help but notice that even in the 2000-2009 list, classics that influenced my younger years were included: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and a book that I re-read this month and discussed in one of my weekly reads posts, A Separate Peace by John Knowles. They even include some later titles that I still love and own such as The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. Of course these stories might not be for everyone, but they are valuable to many including me.

I've had Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez on my list of books to buy and read for a while, but didn't realize it was also on a list of Banned/Challenged books. What about you? Have you read any of the books included on these lists? Do you make a point of reading banned books?

Check out posts on National Banned Books Week at Lurv a la Mode and Leslie's Psyche.

Book Haul! Some 'Ole Skool' Romance & Other Surprises

I got some of that 'ole skool' romance! Well, actually thanks to fellow Jersyan and blogger Mariana from Hips Like Mine, who was very generous indeed, I was able to replace some oooold favorites I read and gave away a long time ago due to my back and forth cross-country moves, including The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I was also lucky enough to acquire books by some authors whose backlists I've been attempting to collect for a while. The haul is so extensive that I didn't think listing them would be plausible, so I decided to take some pictures instead. 

Johanna Lindsay's Ole Skool Romance

I'm excited about Angel, A Heart So Wild and the five novels from the Malory series. There's the great, the good and the... hmm... in that bunch -- The Pursuit is in there, lol! 

Elizabeth Lowell Mira Contemps, Historicals & Romance Suspense, 

more Lindsays

Julie Garwood Historicals & Romance Suspense, plus Lucy Monroe Contemps

Sooo excited about Ransom, One White Rose & One Pink Rose by Garwood.

Linda Howard Silhouettes and Romance Suspense

I'm excited about ALL the Linda Howard books, specially the Silhouettes! The Cutting Edge, Against the Rules, Come Lie with Me, and I did get another book from the McKenzie series on print (I have the digital copies). 

Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy!

I'm really excited about this one (dying to read it), although it's a fight to see who keeps it, lol! My daughter who went to Mariana's house to help me with the books is challenging me for this book. I missed it on my original list and she said she saw it first, so she might have a point. But, I think I'll win custody of it, although of course generous person that I am, I would let her read it too. Hmmm... we'll see who wins this one. :D

Nora Roberts' original Silhouettes!

This was just pure greed from a Nora fan. I already have these books, but the original Silhouettes? I saw these books, my eyes glazed and I just had to have them. Specially Irish Rebel, one of Nora's first Silhouettes (I'm not quite sure if it was her first?), and The Heart of Devin McKade, my favorite book in the McKade Brothers' series. 

J.D. Robb's In-Death Books!

And except for very few books, tons of In-Death books for my Challenge! Of course, if you notice these are not on my bookshelves and that's because my daughter won custody of them. She's reading them much faster than I am, and frankly there's no room for them on my shelves. So, I'll "borrow" them as I go along.

Thank you Mariana for your time and generosity! Such fun!

Coffee, Dessert, NJ Bloggers & Books

March was a long month for me... so many things happened that it just seemed to go on forever. It has been a tough first quarter for me personally in 2010 -- tough changes, family health issues and other events -- but, I'm hopeful things will get better, afterall Spring is here!

However, March ended on a high note for me. After many emails, scheduling and re-scheduling, I finally met three beautiful, sweet and wonderful New Jersey bloggers in person! Last Saturday, Christine (The happily ever after...), Mariana (Hips Like Mine), Natalie (Reading 2 Learn) and I met for coffee and dessert and had the best time discussing books, blogging and just getting to know each other. I'm afraid we didn't take pictures to share with you. :( We were all so busy talking, talking, talking none of us thought of it -- I know I didn't. After my tough month, I really needed that. Thank you ladies for driving all the way up to meet me!

I came home with some books too. :) Mariana was getting rid of some books and I chose a few (didn't want to be too greedy, lol). And, I borrowed a few books from Christine. Here they are:

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Getting Lucky by Susan Andersen and Summer in Eclipse Bay by Jane Ann Krentz are all backlist books from these authors that I've been wanting to read, and for one reason or another didn't buy or get to yet. So now I have them!

I read Nora Roberts' Three Sisters Island Trilogy a looong time ago. At the time, I decided to exchange all three books at a used book store for other Nora Roberts books I wanted to read. Mistake! For years I've been meaning to buy them again so I can make them part of my Roberts collection and so I can re-read them, now I can. Thank you, Mariana!

AND, because I don't have enough to read, lol... Christine, sweetheart that she is, offered to lend me Stolen Fury, Stolen Heat and Stolen Seduction by Elisabeth Naughton. I've been wanting to read this author for quite a while and now I have the opportunity. Thank you, Christine!

Note ALL the books are contemporaries. I'm still craving those a contemporary romances as you'll see when I post my March reads list later on. :)

Meeting Christine, Mariana and Natalie was a great experience. It's amazing how we just all sat around and talked as if we had been doing so forever. It was lovely to experience how the love of books and reading can bring people together in such a comfortable way. Hopefully we'll be doing it again soon. :D

Readers Block: A bad start to 2010!

I began 2010 with the worst case of readers block I've had in years! There are reasons of course, unexpected health-related family crisis, work piled up after the Holidays, but I can usually read through these things and more. My husband says a bomb could go off and I could still read. As a matter of fact, reading usually helps me relieve stress and knowing myself after all these years, stress is something I can usually work through by using different methods. But not this time, not without my books.

From December 30, 2009 through January 15, 2010 I read a total of one book. ONE book! It took me a total of two weeks to finish said book -- a fabulous one by the way, so I knew it was not the book, it was obviously me. I don't remember the last time I went so long without reading, or without being able to read. It doesn't make me a very nice person to live with... no sir, it doesn't.

I have what I think of as an incredible "to be read" pile of books at home -- at least never having had one until two years ago, it is to me -- one I couldn't wait to get into this year. However, this "thing" whatever it is, hit me like a paralysis. I began and closed up a total of six books... nothing, nothing, nothing appealed. I couldn't even get into my favorite re-reads. Paralyzed, I was paralyzed!

My poor husband couldn't deal with me whining (yes, I was whining), about my inability to read, about how television programming is a disgrace, about well... everything, and told me to buy some new books as he was sure I would find one that would just do it! LOLOL, I think he was more desperate than I was to get me reading again, although he did enjoy my crazy spur of the moment baking. ;P

I bought books, ladies... books, books and more books. I'm ashamed to say that the past two weeks I lost control and just bought books! It's a good thing I had some Gift Certificates left over from the Holidays, and I found a bookstore going out of business selling books for 50% off, so I didn't spend as much as I could have... still, I bought books.

After ALL that, and buying ALL those books, Friday night after work (and after baking chocolate chip muffins) I picked up a "general fiction" book, no romance in it. Well, this book could be considered a few different things, a coming of age book, man's fiction, or YA set in a historical period (World War II). This is a book I already had on my TBR -- a book I purchased a few weeks earlier... "Last Days of Summer" by Steve Kluger. I began to just browse the book to see what it really was about and next thing I knew I was on page 169! AND, next thing I knew it was early morning and I had finished the book and I was crying my eyes out. Just crying.... Yes, the ending to this book is quite emotional, you'll need a few tissues before you're finished reading it, I guarantee it. However, I think I was so relieved that I'd actually finished a book in one sitting that I just couldn't stop myself from using more than a few tissues (drama queen that I am). I went to bed with a watery smile on my face and slept like a log!

The real test came on Saturday and Sunday, though. I chose a favorite re-read in a short format and finished it and THEN picked up another new book I wanted to read and by Sunday, I had finished that one too. So YES, the readers block has been broken! And, what a relief it is my friends... I cannot tell you (or maybe I can) how wonderful it feels to be able to get lost in those pages again.

Last Days of Summer is going to hold a special place on my bookshelf forever and ever. Thank you Mr. Kluger!

2009 Top Reads

Going back through my 2009 list of books read, I realized that I've read some excellent books this year. The tough part? Although I've certainly read plenty of new releases, I've also read my share of books released in previous years. My list of top reads doesn't necessarily reflect favorite books released in 2009, instead it's a list of my favorite books read in 2009. I decided to post my Top 10 Reads regardless of release date, as I think this will truly reflect my preferences. There are only a few books on my list released this year and I'll highlight them.

Also, while reviewing my list, I noticed that I read a lot of excellent books during the first half of the year before I began blogging, and realize I did not review quite a few of them. I've linked the titles of the books I've reviewed, but for some you'll not find links. Maybe at some point I'll re-read some of them and post my thoughts. :)

Top 10 reads:

1) Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (Fantasy)
2) Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale (M/M Fantasy) - 2009 Release
3) Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair (Science Fiction/Romance)
4) Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews (Urban Fantasy)
5) Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh (Paranormal Romance) - 2009 Release

6) Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (Historical Romance)
7) This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary Romance)
8) Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews (Sci-Fi/Romance Short Story) - 2009 Release
9) Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger (M/M Contemporary Romance)
10) The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal (Historical Romance)

Honorable Mention: These are books that I loved and truly enjoyed this year as well. As a matter of fact I had a tough time choosing in some cases between my top 10 and these. So, I just had to mention them. They are not in any particular order, I've basically grouped them by genre. I really loved them all. :)

Hope's Folly by Linnea Sinclair (Sci/Fi Romance) - 2009 Release
The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold (Sci-Fi/Short Story)

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (Urban Fantasy) - 2009 Release

Deathwish by Rob Thurman (Urban Fantasy) - 2009 Release

Demon Night by Meljean Brook (Paranormal/Romance)

Virgin River by Robyn Carr (Contemporary Romance)

McKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard (Contemporary Romance)

Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi (Historical Romance)

All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear (Fantasy) - 2009 Release

Percy and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan -5 books (YA)*-2009 Release

Rough Cut: Vincent Diamond Collected by editor Richard Labonte and Vincent Diamond (M/M)

ePistols at Dawn by Z.A. Maxfield (M/M) - 2009 Release

Top Re-Read: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (Historical/Romance) - A book I read such a long time ago it was like reading it for the first time. One of the best historical romances I read this year (again) and for me an A+ read anytime, anywhere.

I noticed this year for the first time I didn't read enough romance/suspense, historical fiction or mysteries to choose at least two top reads -- something I mean to remedy in 2010. I must admit that previous to 2009, I read so much in those categories (specially romance/suspense and mysteries) that I needed to catch up on other genres.

*YA = Only books read in this category this year. But an A recommended 5 book series.

Christmas and Book Shopping!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, or Holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas. I had a few days off and really enjoyed them with family and friends. We enjoyed lots of tasty food, wine and best of all some wonderful times spent with family and new memories to treasure.

I did quite well... received books as gifts and bookstore gift certificates this Christmas -- of course I already added a couple of books to the TBR pile -- some I already read! But then I had a few minutes here and there to myself these past few days in between the cooking, baking, get-togethers and shopping. There's always time for reading, right?

One of my brothers gave me a book as a present from a favorite author, it's Leonardo Padura's latest release, "El Hombre que Amaba a Los Perros." Padura is a Cuban author who has received quite a few literary awards and is known for his "Mario Conde" police detective mysteries -- a series I love and one I'll be re-reading and hope to review this coming year. His latest release came out in September 2009 and as far as I know there's no translation available yet, so I'm not sure what the title in English will be, but the literal translation is "The Man who Loved Dogs." It's a historical fiction piece involving Trotsky, his assassin, the Spanish Civil War, their connection to Cuba and of course a modern time mystery. It looks fascinating and pretty ambitious! I'm really looking forward to reading this book. :)

The day after Christmas my husband and I visited our local book store. I've been thinking of getting that tiny, little book by Mary Balogh, "A Matter of Class." It's a hardcover and I finally decided to maybe get it later due to size vs. price, even though I really wanted to read it. Well, my husband surprised me and gave it to me. Wasn't that sweet? He was paying attention! It's a beautiful little book with a great looking jacket, much better looking in person. I read this book already, of course, couldn't help myself. I'll let you know all about it later. *g*

Going back to Leonardo Padura, while at the book store I decided to use one of my Gift Certificates to buy a few books. I began by buying the first book in the "Mario Conde mysteries series "Pasado Perfecto." I bought it in Spanish because it's my preference, however this book has been translated in different languages, English and French included and it's available. Havana Blue (Mario Conde Book 3) is the title in English. A few things don't make sense -- the title for one, the translation escapes me (literal translation "A Perfect Past"), and why this is being called Book 3 when in reality it's Book 1 of the series, it's beyond me. I read these mysteries back in 1999? 2000? I can't remember the exact year, but my brother passed the copies around to me and to our friends and we all loved them. I want my own copies and will be re-reading all of them.

Next, I chose to buy "Naked in Death" by J.D. Robb, the first in the In-Death series. I joined Christine's 2010 In-Death Challenge and although I lucked out and my book sharing buddy sent me books 2 through 5, I was missing the first one. So, now I'm ready to begin reading J.D. Robb, finally!

I also lucked out and saw Sarah Mayberry's January release "Her Secret Fling" and immediately scooped it up! Now, you KNOW that although I have other books by her in my TBR pile, this is one of the books that was read this weekend. It was perfect for the holidays -- short because I didn't have that much time to read and well... it was romance. I'll let you know all about this one later too. :)

And last but not least, I decided to buy Nora Roberts' "Vision in White" in print. I had it in ebook format, but I have "Bed of Roses" in print and these are such beautiful books with gorgeous covers, I knew sooner or later I was going to get that book in print, lol! I know, I know... why buy a book I already read and I already own? Well... that's just me. I collect her books in print -- I should have known better than to buy it in ebook format in the first place. It won't happen again, believe me!


But, hey that's not all! When I arrived home from shopping I had a little package waiting for me from Santa-baby all the way from the North Pole, via Canada! Santa sent me a book I've heard much about and I've been wanting to read, the New Gay Fiction Anthology, "Fool for Love" edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane. A gorgeous looking print book I can't wait to read because it's all about the "romance." One of the sweetest surprises I received this Christmas weekend. Thank you for thinking of me, Santa-baby!

Well those were my purchases and gifts, I was looking for other books and was not lucky to find them. The Sci-Fi / Fantasy section and even the Romance section seemed lacking, or maybe they just didn't have the books I was looking for. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go check out another book store. *g*

...On Winning & M/M Book Shopping!

This last week the winner of the M/M Reading Romance Challenge was announced by Anesthezea/Christina of I Heart Paperbacks. Guess who won the Gift Certificate to All Romance eBooks? Me! Thank you again Anesthezea.

So, you KNOW I went shopping... here are my picks:

Don't Look Back by John Lanyon - Peter Killian, Curator at Constantine House in Los Angeles, wakes in the hospital to find himself accused of stealing a tenth century Chinese sculpture. Peter knows he's not a thief -- but that's all he knows. Why is hot and handsome Detective Mike Griffin so sure he's guilty -- and so hell-bent on seeing Peter arrested? And why is Peter having these weird dreams about an unseen lover?

This is my first Josh Lanyon book! Can you believe it? I've been meaning to pick up his Adrien English mysteries forever and still have those books on my list of books to buy. I decided to give this single title a try first before getting into a series. I'm really looking forward to it. :)

His Convenient Husband by J. L. Langley - Innamorati, Book 1 - At the tender age of seven, newly orphaned Micah Jiminez lost everything and got lucky. The Delaney family opened their hearts and their hone, treated him like one of their own. One Delaney in particular, though, became more than a brother to Micah. The handsome and protective Tucker is the man to whom he wants to give his love. But a single passionate night together, Tucker rebuffs him and hightails it to Dallas to pursue his dreams. Leaving Micha to pick up the pieces of his broken heart - and feeling like a fool.

J. L. Langley is a favorite of mine. The Tin Star is still one of my old time favorite contemporary western M/M books. So, you know I couldn't pass this one up... especially with that title, lol!

Unrequited by Abigail Roux - Vic Bronsen has a problem. He's stuck in a rut, uninspired by his job, and in love with a man who has no clue. Thinking a change of scenery and company will do his aching heart some good, he goes off on a road trip with his best friend, only to find that the answers to his problems may have been right there in front of him all along.

Hmm... unrequited love, angst, a road trip, best friends. Yeap! Had to get this one, plus I haven't read Abigail Roux's work either, so a great way to start, don't you think?

Patient Eyes by Andy Eisenberg - Jaden is in a bind: he's an eighteen-year-old college student who doesn't make enough money at his part-time job to even afford food. So when one of his house mates introduces him to gay-for-pay porn, he reluctantly agrees to take part. During his first scene, Jaden meets Brendan, and he's stunned to find himself falling in love.

Now this one? I don't know... it looked like it might be HAWT and well... I mean.. gay-for-pay porn and he falls in love after shooting the first scene? I have got to read it! *g*

September 2009 New Releases

There are quite a few new releases coming up in September. I've chosen the top seven books I'm most likely to read and a few I can't wait to get my hands on. 

September 1 - Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman

Ahhh, a western! Lots has been said lately about them, and rightly so, during the GREAT WESTERN DRIVE. KristieJ from Ramblings on Romance blogged and recommended some excellent westerns last week. Leslie from Leslie's Psyche and Nath from Books, Books and More Books also blogged to spread the word... so I just had to dust off some oldies. I don't need too much encouragement since I love them, so I'll be kicking off my September reading about our hero sheriff Wyatt, and Rachel the woman who in order to inherit, must marry him. Yesss.... back to the good ole West. 

September 1 - Must Love Hellhounds by Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook

Ilona Andrews became part of my favorite authors' list after I finished reading the Kate Daniel's books earlier this year, and then followed that up by reading the wonderful and complete short story Silent Blade. Magic Mourns about a three headed dog who left the gates of Hades unguarded to follow a mysterious scent to the real world looks promising and makes this anthology one I want to read. Add to that Nalini Singh's Angel Judgment, a short story about her hunter-guild UF/Romance series and this anthology becomes a "must read" for me. The Britlingens Go to Hell by Charlaine Harris and Blind Spot by Meljean Brook are the cherry on the top of this yummy paranormal treat.

  

September 1 - To Catch a Bride by Anne Gracie

This looks like an interesting historical romance set in Egypt. It was a recommendation from a friend, so we're both going to read it. This will be my first Anne Gracie book and I'm really looking forward to it. Different setting and a new author -- two things I love. My friend loves this author, so I'm hoping I will too.

September 8 - The Golden City (Book 3, The Fourth Realm Trilogy) by John Twelve Hawks

John Twelve Hawk's previous novels about the mystical Travelers and the Brethren, their ruthless enemies, generated an extraordinary following around the world. The Washington Post wrote that The Traveler "portrays a Big Brother with powers far beyond anything Orwell could imagine..." and Publishers Weekly hailed the series as "a saga that's part A Wrinkle in Time, part The Matrix and part Kurosawa epic." Internet chat rooms and blogs have overflowed with speculation about the final destiny of the richly imagined characters fighting an epic battle beneath the surface of our modern world.

In The Golden City, Twelve Hawks delivers the climax to his spellbinding epic. Struggling to protect the legacy of his Traveler father, Gabriel faces troubling new questions and relentless threats. His brother Michael, now firmly allied with the enemy, pursues his ambition to wrest power from Nathan Boone, the calculating leader of the Brethren. And Maya, the Harlequin warrior pledged to protect Gabriel at all costs, is forced to make a choice that will change her life forever.

September 22 - Tempt Me at Twilight (Hathaways, Book 3) by Lisa Kleypas

Well, Poppy is finally going to get her book and she's supposedly marrying the "villain" -- I love bad boys, the Hathaways and Lisa Kleypas, so this book is one I can't wait to get my hands on. :)

September 29 - Doubleblind (Jax Series) by Ann Aguirre

Sirantha Jax isn't known for diplomatic finesse. As a "Jumper" who navigates ships through grimspace, she's used to kicking ass first and taking names later -- much later. Not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons. 

In Ithiss-Tor council meetings aren't the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to maneuver carefully. Her lover, March, is frozen in permanent "kill" mode, and his hair-trigger threatens to sabotage the talks -- not to mention their relationship.

But Jax won't give up on the man or the mission. With the Outskirts beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and the flesh-eating Morgut, an alliance with Ithiss-Tor may be humanity's only hope. Which has Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job...

September 29 - Grand Junction by Maurice G. Dantec

I love post-apocalyptic tales and this one is combined with science fiction. I couldn't resist. I have Babylon Babies by Dantec and frankly I've been dying to read some of his work. However, this one sounds much better to me than the book I already have on my TBR pile! So you know what I'm going to do, right? I'm going to start with Grand Junction and read the other one later! I know, I know... but this is the one pulling me at the moment. 

September 2009 has been a long time coming. I blogged about the The Golden City (Book 3 of The Fourth Realm Trilogy) by John Twelve Hawks, when I realized this book was finally going to be released. After such a long wait, I'm more than ready for it. 

I remember devouring both Grimspace and Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre September of last year and wondering how on earth I was going to wait a whole year to read more about Jax, March and Vel's next adventure in Ithiss-Tor... now it's almost here!  

And, how can I not be excited about a new Hathaways release by Lisa Kleypas! She's one of my favorite historical romance authors. Throw in an anthology with two other favorite authors, Ilona Andrews and Nalini Singh; a western romance by Jo Goodman and some post-apocalyptic, literary sci-fi by Dantec and I would say it's going to be a great reading month for me!

What new releases are you looking forward to?

...On Book Shopping!

Ohhhhh! I went book shopping this weekend. My favorite past time...well... one of my favorite past times! Some of these books have been on my list of books to buy for a while, and others are recent recommendations. There's a little bit of everything I like to read in this neat little pile and I can't wait to get my hands on them. So, here are the latest additions to my TBR pile...

Babylon Babies,  a translation of the futuristic thriller written by the French sci-fi author Maurice G. Dantec. This is one I've had on my list for a while.

 

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald is the first in a military Sci-Fi trilogy -- a recent addition to my list. Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan, the first book in the Tres Navarre Mysteries, I've been wanting to read these for quite a while and decided now is the time! And could not shop for books without picking up at least one historical romance, so I chose The Promise by T.J. Bennett -- medieval romance set during the reign of Charles V that caught my attention.

A few Contemporary Romances also made my shopping cart. Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James, Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen and A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash are all books I've either been meaning to buy or have been recommended highly. 

And of course, I finished my shopping by buying one Category Romance, The Rancher's Rules by Lucy Monroe. I saw a review in the bloggosphere for this book a while back and I put this book on my list. It finally went from the TBB list to the TBR pile! 

Now, to find the time to read them ALL!