Another book thread - Hmmm I wonder what Clare's reading?
- Thread starter Janis
- Start date
janiejoey
Cathlete
Not Clare here, hope you don't mind,
I'm finding that there is a lot of interest in Divergent by Veronica Roth and the Steven James series starting with Pawn.
Divergent, I hear might be violent (but I don't know), wanted to try it anyway and Steven James series sounds like a great mystery and thriller type. Something very new to me and can't wait to get started on these.
After Twilight, Outlander, The Hunger Games, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...I need something special to read again. Where are all the writers to keep us entertained? I suppose they can't write as fast as we can read.
Anyhoo, hope this helps a little.
Janie
I'm finding that there is a lot of interest in Divergent by Veronica Roth and the Steven James series starting with Pawn.
Divergent, I hear might be violent (but I don't know), wanted to try it anyway and Steven James series sounds like a great mystery and thriller type. Something very new to me and can't wait to get started on these.
After Twilight, Outlander, The Hunger Games, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...I need something special to read again. Where are all the writers to keep us entertained? I suppose they can't write as fast as we can read.
Anyhoo, hope this helps a little.
Janie
Last edited:
Not Clare here, hope you don't mind,
I'm finding that there is a lot of interest in Divergent by Veronica Roth and the Steven James series starting with Pawn.
Divergent, I hear might be violent (but I don't know), wanted to try it anyway and Steven James series sounds like a great mystery and thriller type. Something very new to me and can't wait to get started on these.
After Twilight, Outlander, The Hunger Games, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...I need something special to read again. Where are all the writers to keep us entertained? I suppose they can't write as fast as we can read.
Anyhoo, hope this helps a little.
Janie
Hi Janie
Thank you for responding! Of course I don't mind.
Clare comes to my mind because she has made so many great suggestions over the years. As a matter of fact, I think she was the first Cathlete to recommend, "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo". I believe this was well before the other two books in the series were published in the U.S.
I will check out the Steven James books.
Some other past Clare suggestions have been, authors: Tara French, Laurie R. King, Kate Atkinson, and Michael Robothom... to name a few in the mystery genre. I seem to remember an English Lit thread at some point, which is another fav.
Thanks for chiming in, Janie.
KadetKim
Cathlete
Having been a lifelong avid reader it irks me that I never seem to find the time these days but with thoughts of beach season approaching has anyone read the first one or two from the Shopaholic series?
They got a bit sillier as they went on and the film was a travesty but still, there's no denying that there's a bit of Becky Bloomwood and each and everyone of us girls.
They got a bit sillier as they went on and the film was a travesty but still, there's no denying that there's a bit of Becky Bloomwood and each and everyone of us girls.
Having been a lifelong avid reader it irks me that I never seem to find the time these days .....
....but still, there's no denying that there's a bit of Becky Bloomwood and each and everyone of us girls.
Kim-inator!
I hear ya on the no time to read, but then again I read a lot of non-fiction too. I don't know what I'm doing with over 100 un-read titles on my Kindle. Most of them were free that I should sample and trash... even so, I keep hoping there will be more gems in the mix.
I did find one - Into the Free by Julie Cantrell.
Yes...yes...there is a bit of Becky Bloomwood in me too.
Sophie Kinsella is great for a quick, light, humorous read. Speaking of humor, I've been meaning to read P.D. Wodehouse, per your suggestion. Which one is your favorite-ist? or rather - which one shall I read first?
maddiesmum
Cathlete
Janis:
thanks so much for the PM and to have my name in a thread!
Seriously though, yes I can usually point people in the direction of a multiplicity of fab books to sink their teeth into.
Lately though, I have had trouble coming up with many that interest me. Since I read a book a day, almost, this pretty much sucks for me! But.....
Did I ever recommend the Deborah Crombie books to you? She's a mystery author, a Texan, but she situates her crime stories in London, my home city, and she nails it. What I love about her books are two things:
1) she has the same family of detectives and each book shows the development of their private and professional lives, so we grow with them,
2) no crime can be solved without an examination of the past. So, the past is never done and dealt with in Crombie's world, instead it clings to the present, causing complications and refusing to ever be done with or over. This adds depth to all Crombie mysteries.
In the romance department, and I am not a snob, I disagree with anyone who sweeps an entire genre under the carpet without ever having tried it, I can recommend several names of authors who can be relied upon for quality writing in a genre that often becomes over-formulaic. I love Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Judith McNaught, some Susan Wiggs (her "Just Breathe" comes to mind) and my all-time fave, Susan Elizabeth Philips.
For Julia Quinn, browse the shelves or amazon and find the 6 or 7 titles that deal with the Bridgerton family. Wonderful books that demonstrate the art of making a family, family tenderness, loyalty, love and that not all families sink into dysfunction. Quinn is superbly witty. Eloisa James has an ear for a fine turn of phrase, also a very funny writer. McNaught has bigger books, great sweeps of story that you get caught up in. I love "Paradise," "Perfect" and my absolute favourite, my second favourite romance novel of all time, "Whitney my love." This last one is a keeper.
As for Susan Elizabeth Phillips, why do I love her so? A couple of her earlier books are best left on the shelf but then she hits her stride and realizes the secret to her writing is characters. She loves her characters, for all their excesses, mistakes, screw ups and orneriness. We do too! She writes the most hilarious dialogue. To get lost in one of her best books is to wish you could drop in on Texas and join in the party, get to know these characters as real people and have them in your life. My all time favourite of hers is "Aint she sweet?" (Although, not situated in Texas!) I dare you not to love it!
As far as popular fiction is concerned, I recently picked up "The Art of Fielding" and I thought that actually, this guy can really write. Too many of the books I have started this last year, I haven't been able to finish because the writing is not of good quality. Chad Harbach's book had me hooked immediately. Unfortunately, I got bogged down at work and had to return it before I was even half way through, so I am wait listed to get another copy at my local library.... I want to get back to it to discover how does baseball work as a metaphor for life?
I did read and loved Vanessa Diffenbaugh's "The Language of Flowers." Wow, what a book. Couldn't put this one down. How do you learn how to love if you have never been shown any? How do you learn to become part of a family if no family has ever wanted you? How do you learn to let people in and not over-protect yourself so much you risk remaining cut off forever? Enjoy.
On my list of what I want to read next is: Swamplandia, Margot Livesey's new book "The Flight of Gemma Hardy," and just tons more.
Recently I read two books in the Jo Nesbo crime series where the lead character is detective Harry Hole, of the Norwegian police. I read "The Leopard" and "The Snowman" and I thought the latter as the better of the two. Hole reminds me a little of Michael Connolly's Harry Bosch: the whole time I read I am so worried for both the Harry's, thinking, "oh crap, what sort of shit has Harry gotten into now?!?!" I despair of them both sometimes: they are screwing their lives up and I want to leap in and get them sorted out!
I always read, faithfully, any book by Laura Lipmann. I did not, much to my bitter disappointment since I won an autographed copy(!), much like her latest "The Most Dangerous Thing." However, her previous book, "I'd Know You Anywhere" is good and her PI series based in Baltimore featuring the character Tess Monaghan are all fab. Can't wait to read more Tess. A great character. Especially now she has her boyfriend Crow, her baby and her side kick, Mrs. Flowers (hope I got her name right).
I am not a big fan of any books targetting the teen audience. HP, Twilight series and Hunger Games series are for teens. We adults have a wealth of books from which to choose, too many are published each year to possibly get through. So, you will never find me touting the wonders of anything from the teen market. Their view of life is not mine. Teen concerns are not mine. Grown up books for grown up people, that's what I believe in. Let the teens have their own and keep their own secrets.
And yes, I will be picking up the "50 Shades of Grey" book at some point. I want to know what the talk is about, I'm open to all sorts of topics, love, fantasy/erotica, and I want to know: is she actually any good as a writer?
This will always be my number 1 criteria: can the person actually write? There's too much talent out there and good stories waiting to be read, I'm not wasting my time on two-bit talent.
Anyway, I have just started a new professional project, I am writing a textbook for the academic market, teaching an approach to literature for students of Spanish at college, so I am bogged down in Hispanic short stories at the moment and not reading quite as much as I normally do.
But, maybe some of these suggestions will keep you going? Next time I come across a book that takes my breath away, the title will be all yours.
Final mention: in my list of fave books of all time are the following titles: "The House of Mirth" Edith Wharton, The Bone People" Keri Hulme, "Mrs. Dalloway" Virginia Wolf. Even if all you read one year were these three books, you'd have quite a year!
Have fun Janis, thanks for thinking of me! And let me make just one last plug: if you aren't watching "Sherlock", season 1 and 2 with Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch: what the h*** are you waiting for?!?!?!?!?!
TTYL,
Clare
thanks so much for the PM and to have my name in a thread!
Seriously though, yes I can usually point people in the direction of a multiplicity of fab books to sink their teeth into.
Lately though, I have had trouble coming up with many that interest me. Since I read a book a day, almost, this pretty much sucks for me! But.....
Did I ever recommend the Deborah Crombie books to you? She's a mystery author, a Texan, but she situates her crime stories in London, my home city, and she nails it. What I love about her books are two things:
1) she has the same family of detectives and each book shows the development of their private and professional lives, so we grow with them,
2) no crime can be solved without an examination of the past. So, the past is never done and dealt with in Crombie's world, instead it clings to the present, causing complications and refusing to ever be done with or over. This adds depth to all Crombie mysteries.
In the romance department, and I am not a snob, I disagree with anyone who sweeps an entire genre under the carpet without ever having tried it, I can recommend several names of authors who can be relied upon for quality writing in a genre that often becomes over-formulaic. I love Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Judith McNaught, some Susan Wiggs (her "Just Breathe" comes to mind) and my all-time fave, Susan Elizabeth Philips.
For Julia Quinn, browse the shelves or amazon and find the 6 or 7 titles that deal with the Bridgerton family. Wonderful books that demonstrate the art of making a family, family tenderness, loyalty, love and that not all families sink into dysfunction. Quinn is superbly witty. Eloisa James has an ear for a fine turn of phrase, also a very funny writer. McNaught has bigger books, great sweeps of story that you get caught up in. I love "Paradise," "Perfect" and my absolute favourite, my second favourite romance novel of all time, "Whitney my love." This last one is a keeper.
As for Susan Elizabeth Phillips, why do I love her so? A couple of her earlier books are best left on the shelf but then she hits her stride and realizes the secret to her writing is characters. She loves her characters, for all their excesses, mistakes, screw ups and orneriness. We do too! She writes the most hilarious dialogue. To get lost in one of her best books is to wish you could drop in on Texas and join in the party, get to know these characters as real people and have them in your life. My all time favourite of hers is "Aint she sweet?" (Although, not situated in Texas!) I dare you not to love it!
As far as popular fiction is concerned, I recently picked up "The Art of Fielding" and I thought that actually, this guy can really write. Too many of the books I have started this last year, I haven't been able to finish because the writing is not of good quality. Chad Harbach's book had me hooked immediately. Unfortunately, I got bogged down at work and had to return it before I was even half way through, so I am wait listed to get another copy at my local library.... I want to get back to it to discover how does baseball work as a metaphor for life?
I did read and loved Vanessa Diffenbaugh's "The Language of Flowers." Wow, what a book. Couldn't put this one down. How do you learn how to love if you have never been shown any? How do you learn to become part of a family if no family has ever wanted you? How do you learn to let people in and not over-protect yourself so much you risk remaining cut off forever? Enjoy.
On my list of what I want to read next is: Swamplandia, Margot Livesey's new book "The Flight of Gemma Hardy," and just tons more.
Recently I read two books in the Jo Nesbo crime series where the lead character is detective Harry Hole, of the Norwegian police. I read "The Leopard" and "The Snowman" and I thought the latter as the better of the two. Hole reminds me a little of Michael Connolly's Harry Bosch: the whole time I read I am so worried for both the Harry's, thinking, "oh crap, what sort of shit has Harry gotten into now?!?!" I despair of them both sometimes: they are screwing their lives up and I want to leap in and get them sorted out!
I always read, faithfully, any book by Laura Lipmann. I did not, much to my bitter disappointment since I won an autographed copy(!), much like her latest "The Most Dangerous Thing." However, her previous book, "I'd Know You Anywhere" is good and her PI series based in Baltimore featuring the character Tess Monaghan are all fab. Can't wait to read more Tess. A great character. Especially now she has her boyfriend Crow, her baby and her side kick, Mrs. Flowers (hope I got her name right).
I am not a big fan of any books targetting the teen audience. HP, Twilight series and Hunger Games series are for teens. We adults have a wealth of books from which to choose, too many are published each year to possibly get through. So, you will never find me touting the wonders of anything from the teen market. Their view of life is not mine. Teen concerns are not mine. Grown up books for grown up people, that's what I believe in. Let the teens have their own and keep their own secrets.
And yes, I will be picking up the "50 Shades of Grey" book at some point. I want to know what the talk is about, I'm open to all sorts of topics, love, fantasy/erotica, and I want to know: is she actually any good as a writer?
This will always be my number 1 criteria: can the person actually write? There's too much talent out there and good stories waiting to be read, I'm not wasting my time on two-bit talent.
Anyway, I have just started a new professional project, I am writing a textbook for the academic market, teaching an approach to literature for students of Spanish at college, so I am bogged down in Hispanic short stories at the moment and not reading quite as much as I normally do.
But, maybe some of these suggestions will keep you going? Next time I come across a book that takes my breath away, the title will be all yours.
Final mention: in my list of fave books of all time are the following titles: "The House of Mirth" Edith Wharton, The Bone People" Keri Hulme, "Mrs. Dalloway" Virginia Wolf. Even if all you read one year were these three books, you'd have quite a year!
Have fun Janis, thanks for thinking of me! And let me make just one last plug: if you aren't watching "Sherlock", season 1 and 2 with Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch: what the h*** are you waiting for?!?!?!?!?!
TTYL,
Clare
maddiesmum
Cathlete
And yes, I adore the first 3 books in the Becky Bloomwood series. Hilarious!
Clare
Clare
Clare!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are amazing. Reading your post was like a cool drink of water on a hot day, refreshing and just what I needed.
Your list of suggestions will keep me very, very busy. Why is it so hard to find good writers?
I want a subscription to, "What's Clare Reading."
((((Mighty hugs))))
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are amazing. Reading your post was like a cool drink of water on a hot day, refreshing and just what I needed.
Your list of suggestions will keep me very, very busy.
Why is it so hard to find good writers? I want a subscription to, "What's Clare Reading."
((((Mighty hugs))))
janiejoey
Cathlete
Clare,
I want to thank you so much for all the suggestions you've made. Seems I will be working hard on my library for this Summer at the beach.
However, I am a fan of a few teen books. Before I wouldn't purchase them because I felt they were too young for me, but I did try the Twilight series and The Hunger Games... and so glad I did. The teens in the stories did not act like normal teenagers, instead they were more like adults. The stories captivated me and was so interesting. That's what these fiction books do to me anyway, escaping from real life and totally amercing myself in the characters lives.
You'd be surprised how wonderful they are. I hope you change your mind on at least the Hunger Games, because it was an incredible series. Hate to see you miss out.
Can't wait to hear from you again later during the year on the books you chose then. Hopefully I will get through some of the books you've suggested already.
Janie
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maddiesmum
Cathlete
Janie, Janis:
ladies, you are both welcome! I am always here, and I will post again, later in the summer with my latest recommendations and wanna read lists.
I am currently buying my first house ever, which is so exciting, and moving and getting set up there will take some time, but I never stop reading so.....
Maybe I really should start a blog? Nancy always said I should.....
Clare
ladies, you are both welcome! I am always here, and I will post again, later in the summer with my latest recommendations and wanna read lists.
I am currently buying my first house ever, which is so exciting, and moving and getting set up there will take some time, but I never stop reading so.....
Maybe I really should start a blog? Nancy always said I should.....
Clare
KadetKim
Cathlete
Clare
Reading your post was incredibly refreshing as well said by Janis.
I'm just back to say that I'm so glad you agreed with my views on Sophie Kinsella - her DH is Head Master at a school just half a mile from here. I'd read all her stuff b4 I found that out though.
So Hi-5 from one Londoner to another and enjoy your new home (yeah I know it's not London now).
Kim
Reading your post was incredibly refreshing as well said by Janis.
I'm just back to say that I'm so glad you agreed with my views on Sophie Kinsella - her DH is Head Master at a school just half a mile from here. I'd read all her stuff b4 I found that out though.
So Hi-5 from one Londoner to another and enjoy your new home (yeah I know it's not London now).
Kim
maddiesmum
Cathlete
Hi Kim:
nice to meet you! Yeah, Becky Bloomwood is another of those characters I want to grab by the scruff of her neck and sort her out! But then, she wouldn't be the Becky we and Brandon love so much....... I always think Brandon must be such a great guy.....
Have fun with your reading list! See you on the next book thread,
Clare
nice to meet you! Yeah, Becky Bloomwood is another of those characters I want to grab by the scruff of her neck and sort her out! But then, she wouldn't be the Becky we and Brandon love so much....... I always think Brandon must be such a great guy.....
Have fun with your reading list! See you on the next book thread,
Clare
Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
I personally love the teen books, I enjoyed both Twilight an The Hunger Games.
My latest favorite series I just finished was the Fae Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. There are 5 in the series. The first book is good but they get incredibly better as they go along. Awesome series!
My latest favorite series I just finished was the Fae Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. There are 5 in the series. The first book is good but they get incredibly better as they go along. Awesome series!
Hey, hey, three books from your library that I've already read! "After You'd Gone" was one of the books you recommended a while back to Nancy (Nancy324). I read it while I was recovering from a running injury. It was fantastic.
The Divine Secrets ...was excruciating ...well written and a good read, but the child abuse was painful.
The Time Traveler's Wife - simply sublime.
I am 57% (stats thanks to my Kindle) through The House of Mirth. I cannot believe I have not read this Edith Wharton novel before. All I can say is, oh Lily, poor poor Lily.
Queued up to read next is Mrs. Dalloway. I was really surprised I have not read this, I read The Hours, but somehow I never read Virgina Wolf.
I bought "The Bone People" used and I'm borrowing "The Language of Flowers" from the library when I am finished, then onto the rest of the list.
Hiking and discussing life is a wonderful way to spend a day with a friend, count me in.
maddiesmum
Cathlete
Janis:
well, well! You have been paying attention!
I watched the film version of House of Mirth, the adaptation with Gillian Andersen, and oh my! About two thirds of the way through, I had to put it on pause, pace about the living room, make tea, hang my head in the kitchen, resisting tears. I finished it but it is such a hard novel. So damned tragic. I love it and I know it will put me through the ringer each and every time....
I remember reading After You'd Gone while I was busy dropping out of the PhD program --there's a tale for another day-- and I was just so damn miserable all the time. Life was on hold while I read that book and I read it while I was a bundle of nerve endings exposed to the world, so yes, the tears flowed then too. Ah well... sometimes the emotion is part of the reading experience. What can you do but feel it, all of it.
As for Ya Yas, I refuse to see the film version of this one and let them ruin it for me. No way. Yes, child abuse, several layers of it, running through the generations.
I shall have to throw myself into my reading for the summer so I can compile another list for you!
I went to try on the boots today but they didn't do it for me. I want fabulous, when I shop. I won't buy "okay," I only buy if it makes me look and feel just great. I like the boots but they didn't feel as comfortable as the ones I went in wearing, and that's always a rule of thumb for me: the item being tried on has to be just as great and probably better than what I wear into the store, otherwise, no-go.
So, instead I walked in the downtown area and read about a running group that meets and sets off from my local Running Fit store each week, so I think I will join that! So, it wasn't a wasted journey and this way, I save the boots' price ($83 in the sale) for these sandals from Naya, see what you think! I ordered these in the venom brown, which is actually more of a red.....
Shoes & Handbags naya sandals - designer shoes, handbags, jewelry, watches, and fashion accessories | endless.com
Janis, where do you live? I might have to agree to go on a Cathe road trip one day, just so I can meet you! When's your birthday? What's going on in your life?
Right, off to read more of Shades of Grey, which a friend lent to me (she likes it a lot, I am not sure I will, oh dear!) and then on to weight training for me. Gotta work those shoulders ready for dresses and sleeveless tops....
Have a great evening!
Clare
well, well! You have been paying attention!
I watched the film version of House of Mirth, the adaptation with Gillian Andersen, and oh my! About two thirds of the way through, I had to put it on pause, pace about the living room, make tea, hang my head in the kitchen, resisting tears. I finished it but it is such a hard novel. So damned tragic. I love it and I know it will put me through the ringer each and every time....
I remember reading After You'd Gone while I was busy dropping out of the PhD program --there's a tale for another day-- and I was just so damn miserable all the time. Life was on hold while I read that book and I read it while I was a bundle of nerve endings exposed to the world, so yes, the tears flowed then too. Ah well... sometimes the emotion is part of the reading experience. What can you do but feel it, all of it.
As for Ya Yas, I refuse to see the film version of this one and let them ruin it for me. No way. Yes, child abuse, several layers of it, running through the generations.
I shall have to throw myself into my reading for the summer so I can compile another list for you!
I went to try on the boots today but they didn't do it for me. I want fabulous, when I shop. I won't buy "okay," I only buy if it makes me look and feel just great. I like the boots but they didn't feel as comfortable as the ones I went in wearing, and that's always a rule of thumb for me: the item being tried on has to be just as great and probably better than what I wear into the store, otherwise, no-go.
So, instead I walked in the downtown area and read about a running group that meets and sets off from my local Running Fit store each week, so I think I will join that! So, it wasn't a wasted journey and this way, I save the boots' price ($83 in the sale) for these sandals from Naya, see what you think! I ordered these in the venom brown, which is actually more of a red.....
Shoes & Handbags naya sandals - designer shoes, handbags, jewelry, watches, and fashion accessories | endless.com
Janis, where do you live? I might have to agree to go on a Cathe road trip one day, just so I can meet you! When's your birthday? What's going on in your life?
Right, off to read more of Shades of Grey, which a friend lent to me (she likes it a lot, I am not sure I will, oh dear!) and then on to weight training for me. Gotta work those shoulders ready for dresses and sleeveless tops....
Have a great evening!
Clare
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Hi Clare
{*gasp...knocking over tea cups and water glasses*} I grabbed your email address...now quick, delete it from your post.
(p.s. more later, onto yoga then dinner prep.)
(p.s.s.sorry the boots didn't workout, LOVE the sandals though....love a wood heel.)
(p.s.s.s Yay! about the running group.)
{*gasp...knocking over tea cups and water glasses*} I grabbed your email address...now quick, delete it from your post.
(p.s. more later, onto yoga then dinner prep.)
(p.s.s.sorry the boots didn't workout, LOVE the sandals though....love a wood heel.)
(p.s.s.s Yay! about the running group.)
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maddiesmum
Cathlete
Done!
Short response but perfect in its own way! Enjoy the yoga. It's awful in my house right now, just finished a nasty argument with my 15 year old. Sigh. I need to learn to feel a little bit less....I need yoga!!!!!!
Have fun, I'm making eggplant parmiggiano with roasted, garlic red peppers tonight...... want some? I'll give you the recipe if you like: it is so easy, even a kitchen hater like me can do it!
Clare
Short response but perfect in its own way! Enjoy the yoga. It's awful in my house right now, just finished a nasty argument with my 15 year old. Sigh. I need to learn to feel a little bit less....I need yoga!!!!!!
Have fun, I'm making eggplant parmiggiano with roasted, garlic red peppers tonight...... want some? I'll give you the recipe if you like: it is so easy, even a kitchen hater like me can do it!
Clare
Newf Mom
Member
Janis - great thread and thanks for starting it! I am always looking for my next good book and the last book thread on these boards led me to read The Pawn by Steven James, which I really enjoyed. Will be picking up The Rook from my library soon.
I second Clare’s recommendation for Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, terrific and heartwarming and full of funny funny dialogue.
Another romance author (although quite different from Quinn) whom I adore and is by far my favorite, is Laura Kinsale. Can’t say enough about her! Couple of titles are Flowers From the Storm and Prince of Midnight, although I really did enjoy all of her books. Hers are not light or humorous romances and they cover some pretty dark territory but they are so worth it. These are stories I could not stop thinking about for days after finishing.
A good mystery series I'm currently reading is the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries by Laura Spencer-Fleming. The first book is called In the Bleak Midwinter. I also enjoyed C.S. Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, they take place in Regency London. I believe the first one in this series is What Angels Fear.
Thanks again to everyone who shared their recommendations.
Liz
I second Clare’s recommendation for Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, terrific and heartwarming and full of funny funny dialogue.
Another romance author (although quite different from Quinn) whom I adore and is by far my favorite, is Laura Kinsale. Can’t say enough about her! Couple of titles are Flowers From the Storm and Prince of Midnight, although I really did enjoy all of her books. Hers are not light or humorous romances and they cover some pretty dark territory but they are so worth it. These are stories I could not stop thinking about for days after finishing.
A good mystery series I'm currently reading is the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries by Laura Spencer-Fleming. The first book is called In the Bleak Midwinter. I also enjoyed C.S. Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, they take place in Regency London. I believe the first one in this series is What Angels Fear.
Thanks again to everyone who shared their recommendations.
Liz
maddiesmum
Cathlete
Liz:
nice to meet you and thanks for sending your suggestions. New titles for me to check out, exciting!
Keep them coming......
Clare
nice to meet you and thanks for sending your suggestions. New titles for me to check out, exciting!
Keep them coming......
Clare