A while back, I mentioned that I’d heard a reading by Audrey Niffenegger – author of The Time Traveler’s Wife.
It was a wonderful story about the death – and afterlife – of independent book stores. I’ve just discovered it’s available to listen to on NPR – National Public Radio – site. I don’t know if this will work for those of you outside the US – but it’s worth a try. The reading is that good – and there’s some pretty good music on the recording as well.
Listening to it got me to thinking about the books I am currently reading. I do tend to read a lot of big name best sellers- but also books by lesser known authors as well. There’s no telling where you will find a real gem.
So here are a few recommendations for you from my recent reading…
Love and Freedom : Sue Moorcroft
I have read most (if not all) of Sue Moorcroft’s books. They are contemporary romances – with a light touch of humour.
But that’s not why I read them.
I read them because of the heroes. Sue writes THE best heroes.
I don’t think I’ve ever gone past chapter two without falling just a bit in love with the hero… and this book is no exception. Who could fail to fall in love with a hero who is smart and funny and honourable and caring – and did I mention drop down dead gorgeous.
Highly recommended.
Never Coming Home : Evonne Wareham
This book recently won the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s award for a first novel. I’m not surprised.
It’s romantic suspense and had me totally gripped from the first page. Each time I thought I had figured it out, another plot twist took me by surprise.
It’s … gritty in places, which is a good thing in the context of the book. I like that grittiness, but some might not.
And again – a fabulous hero.
If this is a first novel – I can hardly wait for the next. I’ll be pre-ordering it the day it hits the website.
Definitely recommended.
A Dance With Dragons : George R R Martin
This epic fantasy has become hugely popular on the back of the Game of Thrones TV series (and with Sean Bean setting the stage who was surprised?).
I was introduced to George R R Martin years ago – with a fabulous book called Fevre Dream. It’s about vampires – but was written long before Twilight or Vampire Diaries or True Blood It was the first book I read where the vampire was a hero.
Game of Thrones – or as the books are called : Song of Ice and Fire – is just amazing. The story is so complex, yet so well-dawn that it seems totally real.
There are two more books to come to finish the story. Martin takes a long time to write each book (they are the size of a house brick) – but it is absolutely well worth the wait.
– what’s more recommended than highly recommended?
The Sweethearts’ Knitting Club : Lori Wilde
Since coming to the US, I’ve begun reading “small town” book series – a sequence of novels all set in the same location, with recurring characters but a complete story to each book.
I think I like the small town books because I grew up in a small town. This one was fun.
The Sweethearts’ Knitting Club is the first in a series set in a town called Twilight, Texas. There is a nice vein of humour going through it. The heroing is engaging… and the hero is a bad boy turned good, which is never a bad thing.
It made for good plane reading – but it didn’t touch me as much as the series done by other authors such as Jodi Thomas and Robyn Carr.
And enjoyable easy read.
Keeping Faith : Jodi Picoult
As always in a Jodi Picoult novel, there’s a child, a court case and questions of faith and morality.
I enjoy the way she writes, but in this case I really didn’t warm to the heroine.
I read and write books about strong women. I don’t care if she doesn’t start the book as a strong woman – but she’s got to show signs of becoming one.
The heroine on this book allowed everyone to just walk all over her – her ex-husband, mother, lover. As the book progressed, she just didn’t find the inner strength I wanted her to have.
Not one of Jodi Picoult’s best books – I wouldn’t recommend it – but it won’t stop me from reading others.
And finally – what am I reading right now..
A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin.
I know this seems a strange addition to the list above.
Ira Levin is probably best known for Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives and Boys From Brazil… none of which is light hearted or romantic.
A Kiss before Dying was his first novel. It won an Edgar award and is considered an American crime classic. Written in 1953, the writing style is a little dated… but that really doesn’t matter. It is gripping.
It’s not a comfortable read – but it’s not supposed to be. I’m a little over a third of the way through and have a nasty suspicion that there are shocks to come.
I would recommend this one – but only if you can handle getting up close and personal with the mind of a murderer.