Summer Reading #1: Oldies by Bujold, Heath, Marillier, Gellis

This summer I am indulging myself. The bulk of my reading has consisted of books that I've been wanting to get to for a long time. I caught up with some oldies but goodies. Today I am highlighting a few of the books that made an impact.

The Warrior's Apprentice and Ethan of Athos (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold. I have so many different editions of The Warrior's Apprentice and yet they've all gone unread for years. Finally, I settled for the audio book. I'm loving this series. I keep asking myself, why did I wait so long? This is such a fantastic science fiction book. Miles is a brilliant young man who doesn't allow his disfigurement and/or disabilities to stop him from achieving what he wants and/or having fun on the way there. I love Miles, the humor, adventurous plot, political games, and fantastic secondary characters. Everything.  Overall, a fabulous creation by Bujold. A 5 star recommendation.

Ethan of Athos is a shorter story that doesn't include Miles, although it does include one of his mercenaries. It is however, a wonderful, adventurous little story with Athos, a planet inhabited exclusively by males, as the base for the story. Bujold's main character, Ethan, is a scientist attempting to resolve a scientific glitch in Athos's artificial reproductive system. To find a resolution, he must travel away from his planet to find it. In his adventures, Ethan faces bigotry as well as his own misconceptions about life away from his planet and women in particular. A 4.5 star recommendation.

I also went on a Lorraine Heath western historical romance kick and read four of her books, including the Texas Trilogy of which Texas Destiny (Book #1) was my favorite and a 5 star read. Amelia Carson, a mail-order bride, travels to Texas to marry the eldest, handsome, Leigh brother. Houston, the scarred middle brother, picks up Amelia at the train station and shares a three-week adventure-filled ride home and the two fall in love. This is a post American Civil war romance with a tortured hero, fantastic sexual tension and chemistry between the protagonists, and a brave, kind, admirable heroine. This is the type of western historical romance I love. A sigh-worthy read!

Parting Gifts is another western historical romance novel by Lorraine Heath, but this one is on the sweeter side. In this romance Maddie is rescued from a life of prostitution by Charles Lawson, a a dying widower in need of a mother for his children. It is a marriage of convenience without sexual intimacy. Charles' older brother Jesse, however, doesn't trust Maddie even as a strong mutual attraction blooms between them. This is a heartwarming, endearing romance with a few well-kept secrets, a couple of cute kids, two brothers, one woman, lovely sexual tension, and a sweet ending. It did not impact me as strongly as Texas Destiny, but still a 4.5 star recommended. I am loving Heath's western backlist! PS: The Fulfillment by Lavyrle Spencer also has the two brothers, one woman plot line. It is not necessarily the same, but I have it in my TBR and need to read it.

Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marillier was also a great read for me. I decided to read it because everywhere I look whenever readers write a review or leave a comment for a Marillier book the first disclaimer is: "This is not as great as the Sevenwaters trilogy, but…," and I wanted to find out what the hoopla was all about. Overall, I am loving Marillier's prose. As far as this first book of the Sevenwaters trilogy goes, I particularly enjoyed the unique way in which she based her fantasy on The Wild Swans fairy tale. I thoroughly disliked the manipulative Fair Folk in the story and the needless loss of innocence, beauty, and talent that came of it all. Having said that, Sorcha and Red as the main romantic couple are fabulous and I found myself reading the book compulsively until the very end. Highly recommended.

Roselynde (Roselynde Chronicles #1) by Roberta Gellis - I decided to reread the first two books of the Roselynde Chronicles by Roberta Gellis. I first read Roselynde back in the early 80's and in my opinion this reread stands the test of time. I still love young Alinor the Intrepid and Simon the Honorable. This book has the fantastic historical fiction details that Gellis is known for, excellent characters all around, and a plot that kept me engaged from beginning to end. I gave it 5 stars at Goodreads and recommend it for readers who love historical fiction set during the times of Richard the Lionhearted, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the Crusades with a romance between fictional characters at its center to spice things up.

Alinor (Roselynde Chronicles #2) by Roberta Gellis - I love the historical details in this book, particularly as they pertain to women's rights to inherit, widows and their children, and King John's reign. Gellis' attempt to capture the medieval mindset is particularly notable in this second installment. Alinor is again the main character, as well as the romance heroine and I still love her. Simon's loss was just as sad during this reread as it was the first time I read the book. The romance between Alinor and her second husband Ian has its moments. Ian's enduring love for Alinor is sweet and passionate. I admired both Alinor's realistic outlook once she became aware of her precarious position, and her attraction to Ian despite the love she still felt for Simon. The romance, however, seems to be plagued by the lack of real communication which leads to one too many misunderstandings. There is a heavy contrast between second husband Ian's youth and first husband Simon's maturity. Regardless, this is my second favorite book of the Roselynde Chronicles. A 4.5 star recommendation.

A note about the Roselynde Chronicles: If as a reader you do not enjoy detailed battle scenes, court intrigue, or political maneuvering with your romance, these historical fiction/romance books may not be for you.

August 2014 Recap: Favorite Reads, Old & New

Summer is over and my reading was great! I did not read all the books on my list, but my hot streak held in August 2014 with lots of excellent books. I'm going to have a tough time choosing personal favorites. Frankly, I was not sure how to go about doing that -- so many of my choices exceeded expectations. My list is a combination of brand new and older releases, so I decided to just separate them this time around. Check them out:

AUGUST 2014 BOOKS READ: 14
Contemporary: 1 (Erotic Fiction)
Urban Fantasy: 2
Fantasy: 1
Mystery: 1
YA Fiction: 1
LGBT:  8 (Speculative Fiction: 1, Mystery: 3, Gay/MM Romance: 4)

Top Reads from old releases:
Broken by Megan Hart: A
The Dark Horse (Longmire #5) by Craig Johnson: A
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: A-
The Affair of the Porcelain Dog by Jess Faraday: A-
Lessons in Love (Cambridge Fellows #1) by Charlie Cochrane: B+

Top Reads from New Releases:
The Mirror Empire (Worldbreaker Saga #1) by Kameron Hurley: B+
Visions (Cainsville #2) by Kelley Armstrong: B+
Wilde Stories 2014 ed. Steve Berman: B+

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron: B
Think of England by K.J. Charles: B
The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black: B-

I enjoyed this book much more than expected. So subtle and quiet and beautiful. John and his baby. John and his horse-lord. Great mature romance and father-son story. I even understood where the mean ex was coming from. A pleasure. (M/M Romance)

Let It Ride (Pickup Men #2) by LC Chase: C+

I liked this second installment in the Pickup Men series by LC Chase. It was emotionally gratifying, both joyful and angsty, with a conflict that combines sexual exploration and learning to accept real love when it comes your way. (M/M Western/Romance)

If Wishes were Horses by Silvia Violet: D

This M/M Romance did not work for me. This is a case of insta-lust with feelings of quick love following, lacking the intimate moments or friendship to build up to that love.

Upcoming Review:
Home Fires Burning by Charlie Cochrane

Reread: Omens (Cainsville #1) by Kelley Armstrong

AUGUST 2014 OTHER REVIEWS & POSTS:
Books: August/September 2014 New Releases!
July 2014 Recap: Favorite Reads + Minis
Review: Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #8) by Ilona Andrews
Review: The Girls at The Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

What have I read lately? Goblin Kings, Witches, Lords & Virtues

Happy Monday! How's everyone? I've had an unscheduled week off from blogging, but here I am again. I've been busy for the past couple of months and my reading and concentration are shot. There's a bit of "reader's block" going on and I'm having trouble choosing and/or finishing books at the moment, although I've finished a few.

What have I read? Last week I read Shadow Spell (Cousins O'Dwyer #2) by Nora Roberts which turned out to be a pretty average, predictable read for me, as opposed to The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison which was excellent! I will review this book soon, but people, this fantasy is a must read! Maia, Maia, Maia . . . While that was a great reading experience, we all know what happens after we finish an excellent book. Nothing satisfies. I ended up rereading What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long, a historical romance I loved, to see if maybe that would boost my interest in romance? In historical romance? But. . .

What am I reading now? Nothing. Instead I am anxiously awaiting for books due to release on April 8th!

How was my March reading? Well, not fantastic as you'll see below. It is pretty much a list of popular hyped up books of which a couple worked for me. My top reads of the month were Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Murder of Crows, The Others Book #2 by Anne Bishop, but my FAVORITE was really my reread of Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. I still love that book!

I also ventured into some dystopian YA by reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. That was a really quick read that I found entertaining. I really liked dystopian Chicago as the setting, and the premise along with the young characters kept me interested until the end. I was particularly taken with the idea that a society would come to the conclusion that the best way to function would be to split into factions depending on "virtues" (mind you, only ONE virtue, as if humans would ever be able to eradicate the rest from themselves!)-- intelligence (Erudite), bravery (Dauntless), selflessness (Abnegation), honesty (Candor), and those who believe in peace (Amity). Of course the young protagonist, Beatrice or Tris is a Divergent, someone who possesses more than one virtue (imagine that) and therefore a danger to society as is. I wasn't quite sure what to make of a dystopian world-building where no real back story is given in the first novel of the trilogy about what happened to get society to that point. Who the heck came up with this brilliant idea? How or why did society end that way? I suppose the details are given later in the trilogy, and even though the story is kind of romantic/cute in an extremely violent sort of way, I'm not sure I'm interested enough to find out by reading the other books. I heard the movie was good. :)

Also, following my Gabaldon read and reread last week, I read Lord John and the Private Matter. Lord John Grey is an interesting character to me since he is the one gay character that Gabaldon portrays in sort of a positive light in her Outlander novels -- he is honorable and as straight forward as he can be given the times, laws, and dangers that a homosexual man faced during those times. This book is a sort of military mystery that Lord John solves with help from his brand new valet Tom Byrd and a few military comrades. There are details about Lavender House, an underground club where homosexual men gather, but there is also blackmail, murder, and dangerous liaisons. This is not as great a book as Gabaldon can write. The facts and details are there, but it is missing emotional impact. So this was a good, but not great read for me.
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Total books read: 7
 Contemporary: 2
 Historical Fiction/Romance: 3
 Urban Fantasy: 1
 Fantasy: 1

Top Reads of the Month:
Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon: B+
Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others (Book #2) by Anne Bishop: B+
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: B-
Divergent by Veronica Roth: B-
Lord John and the Private Matter (Lord John Novel) by Diana Gabaldon: C

Re-read:
Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon

Upcoming Review:
Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry

November 2013: Reads & Minis

November means rainy days, Thanksgiving, the end of Fall and my youngest niece Natalia's birthday! She is now one year old. That's her  picture, wearing her father's hat during our family's Thanksgiving get-together. She's a hoot!

November is also a cozy reading month with all the cold, rainy days, and early evenings. This is the time of year when I begin to crave holiday books, science fiction, and romance. This year, November turned out to be a mixed bag. Half of my reads were average or below average, but I also read some fantastic books. Following is a list with comments.

Total books read: 21
Contemporary: 10 (Fiction: 2, Romance: 4, Erotica: 4)
Historical Fiction: 3 (Romance: 1, Erotica: 1)
Historical Nonfiction: 1
Paranormal Romance: 1
Science Fiction: 1
LGBT: M/M Romance: 4
Literary Fiction (Reread): 1

Top November Reads:

Duke of Midnight (Maiden Lane #5) by Elizabeth Hoyt: A
With a strong heroine, a brooding hero, and a great plot, this book became one of my favorite in this already favorite historical romance series by Hoyt.

Now or Never (A Last Time Romance) by Logan Belle: A
Highly recommended by Wendy, Now or Never is the first in a new contemporary erotic romance series by Logan Belle, an author whose works I've enjoyed in the past. This is a fantastic story that became an instant favorite. I wrote a mini, or you can read the review that convinced me to pick up the book in the first place at The Misadventures of Super Librarian.

The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) by Ursula K. Le Guin: A
Ursula K. Le Guin is a new-to-me author within the science fiction genre and believe me, I am already a fan! Her prose is fantastic, and the core this story kept me riveted. This is not your typical forceful, action packed, science fiction, but a slowly built masterpiece. This book is from Le Guin's backlist, but definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion: B+
I picked up The Rosie Project after reading Leslie's review at Leslie's Psyche. I didn't know at the time that this was quite the popular read! I'm glad I picked it up because it turned out to be a great read for me. Don is one of those memorable characters that stayed with me.

Promise Me Texas (Whispering Mountain #7) by Jodi Thomas: B
A sweet western historical romance that is all about warmth, laughter, and love. This is a solid read that I just enjoyed from beginning to end.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt: B
Now, this was a long and interesting read. Tartt is a new-to-me author recommended to me by one of my brothers because her latest book, The Goldfinch, is making waves at the moment (I have it in my TBR). I want to review this book, so I won't say much about it, except that I found the format she used for this "whydunit," and the intense focus on the rather unlikable characters rather interesting.

How I Met Your Father by L.B. Gregg: B
This is definitely an L.B. Gregg novella. You can tell because her humor is all over it, as well as her knack for getting the reader to fall in love with her couple and involved in the story right off the bat. Fun, fun read.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne: B
I really like Thayne's contemporaries and this was among my favorite Christmas reads last weekend. I really liked the character growth, as well as the romance in this one.

Erica's Choice by Sammi Lee: B
This is an M/M/F erotic triad piece by Sammi Lee, and a highly enjoyable one. It's emotionally wrenching with highly charged erotic moments. Lee did a great job of making this triad work. Solid piece.

Once Upon a Haunted Moor by Harper Fox: C+
Fox is a favorite M/M romance writer for me, and this Halloween read set in Scotland turned out to be really spooky. It's well written, which is not a surprise, but it's rather short with a romance that was too quick to develop.

My Own Miraculous by Joshilyn Jackson: C+
Joshilyn Jackson is a favorite women's fiction writer, and My Own Miraculous is a short prequel novella that introduces the main character to her novel, Someone Else's Love story, a book I have in my TBR and want to read in December. This prequel works well as an introduction, but of course it needs more detail.

Dark Witch (The Cousins O'Dwyer #1) by Nora Roberts: C
The first book in Nora Roberts' latest contemporary paranormal romance series, Dark Witch is nothing more than an average read. It is predictable for those who know her works well. There is really nothing new here. I recommend it to new readers of this author.

What the Bride Didn't Know by Kelly Hunter: C
A contemporary romance read with likable characters, a great premise, and a wonderful setting, but with so many tropes used that it just fizzled and ended up being an average read for me.

The Night Before Christmas by Kelly Hunter: C
A nice Christmas novella that was too short and where the main focus of the romance is interrupted with... filler.

From the Ashes (Fire & Rain #1) by Daisy Harris: C-
The basis of this MM romance by Daisy Harris is very familiar. It reminded me of "By the Numbers" by Chris Owen, and that threw me off from the beginning, additionally neither main character really grabbed my attention. The fireman lives with his family and lets them rule his life and the young man he takes home after his apartment burns down is not independent of mind enough for my taste. Actually, neither of them struck me as independent adult males for some reason. The romance is okay, but the characters bugged me.

Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History Without the Fairy-Tale Endings by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie: D+
This is a read that may be appreciated by some readers who are not keen on historical detail, but would enjoy snippets written in a chatty style. It's a beautiful looking book, but one that just did not work for me personally.

Second Chances (When Second Chances Count) by D.L. Roan: D
This is an M/F/M/M erotica piece with three brothers that find that one woman who will make them happy. It reminded me of the original August Brothers by Lora Leigh, although I believe it resembles Maya Banks' Coulters' Woman much more. This was way too similar and not as well done.

The Lord's Lover (Regency Triad #1) by Jenna Rose Ellis: D
This is a Regency historical and no, it is not a triad, but an M/M romance between a lord and his best friend who happens to be a servant. Somehow they bridge the gap between the master/servant AND homosexuality conflicts that arise. I had a tough time buying this story because of the historical time period and the way it all works out at the end with these men just living together as if all was well with the world.

The Reddington Scandal by Renee Rose: D
Historical M/F Erotica with a virginal bride and D/s flavor that just did not work for me, although it begins with a good premise. The woman's submissiveness and the male's aggressiveness with all the spanking because he needs to take his frustration out on her in the bedroom just bothered the heck out of me in this piece.

Stealing the Bride by Brynn Paulin: D-
SPOILER: This M/M/F erotic piece barely escaped an F or DNF from me. It's short and perhaps that's the reason I finished it. The "bride" goes on a camping trip right before her wedding and her two gay roommates show up to talk her into not going through with the wedding. After having shared an apartment for a few years, these two men confess they are really bisexual, not gay! Funny that nobody ever noticed!! Of course the boys want her and despite the fact that she's engaged, monkey sex ensues. The "groom" shows up to the wedding, but guess what? HE turns out to be gay! What? I can't recommend this one.

Reread:
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
I have a whole post written covering my reread of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, but I'm thinking of just posting it at Quotes and Thoughts. This reread was a major success for me. It goes to show that sometimes rereads are worth the time.