So sue me. I'm having a phase.
Since it's almost the last day of March, it thought it would be fun to put together a post highlighting my five favorite reads of 2015 so far. These aren't book reviews - not even close - just reasons I think you should run right out and download any one of these. Or all of them. Whatever works for you.
In the interest of applying some kind of order, I'll start with a book I read in January and then make the list in relatively chronological order. Here goes...
This one is fierce and dirty and hot and naughty and has such a sweet ending you almost wonder if it belongs in the same book. But it absolutely does! The author recently re-released this under her own imprint. She says she cleaned up some of the writing, but otherwise it's the same as the book I read and loved. Such good stuff.
In late January I was looking for comps for my novel Aqua Follies and read through a handful of m/m romances set around 1950. This was my favorite from that group. The structure is a little complicated - two points of view, told in real time and in flashbacks - but it works. To say the author "captured the horrors of war" is an almost painful cliché, but she nailed it. The strength of the bond between Cal and Jim, and the challenges they face making a place together, was tremendously moving.
It's been a while - a long, long while - since I was in college, so you might think I wouldn't relate to the goings-on between a couple of university students. I did relate. In fact, I got hooked, and by the end I cared deeply about Tom, Reese and their friends. They don't have an easy time of it, but their story is so worth reading...as is the sequel, Nothing Like Paris. Fun stuff!
Okay, so I had a crush on this book well before I ever read it, just because I think the cover is so cool. I'd preordered it, so it showed up on my kindle at 9 pm the night before it's official release date. I figured I'd read a couple chapters before bed, except I read the whole thing instead, even though it meant I missed out on a bunch of sleep. So. Good. Jump HERE to read my review.
#5 Well crap, I'm a writer, not a mathematician. Here, in no particular order, are the books I couldn't decide between to come up with a real #5.
Liberty & Other Stories by Alexis Hall - more amazing stuff from the world of Prosperity.
Restless Spirits by Jordan Hawk - Victorian paranormal fun!
Changing Plans by LA Witt - an enjoyable little Hawaiian vacation.
The Dark Angels: With Wings by Z Allora - yaoi-inspired crack.
Magic Mansion by Jordan Castillo Price - reality TV + magic = entertainment!
From the Ashes by Daisy Harris - hometown heat!
Now, if you know me at all, you might wonder about what's missing. In February KJ Charles, one of my auto-buy authors, released Jackdaw, the third book in her Flight of Magpies series. It's not on my list because I haven't read it yet. I don't know when she's going to put out another Magpie book, and I'm saving this one for a day I really need to read something that'll make me happy. Because it will.
So there. That's what I've been up to. What have you been reading?
Cheers!
Liv
So you can imagine I clicked on this with some trepidation... Especially since I was at singing tonight pondering what book I was going to read next. I'm in a clickable mood right now - heh! (You and your Amazon links!)
ReplyDeleteBut no "Waiting for the flood"? That's my favourite book of the year so far. Even if it's only a novella.
I've read some of the ones you've listed already, but not all. (I liked Changing Plans a lot and read some more of hers. The Best Man being my favourite of them.) Hmmm. *rubs clicking fingers together*
The only reason WftF didn't make the list is that Liberty was already there, and I didn't want to come across as a total Alexis Hall fangirl. It might be reality, but I'm trying to keep my cool.
ReplyDeleteAnd you really must tell me which ones you one-clicked!