Ask A Wench—What the Wenches Are Reading Now

Cara/Andrea here, Each month we try to respond to questions about  . . . well, whatever strikes the fancy of our readers! However, one of the most frequent questions we're asked is what books the Wenches are enjoying. And as we are all as passionate about reading as we are about writing, we are always delighted to share what's on our current list. So withour further ado . . .

Pat Rice:
I've not had a great amount of time to read lately, I'm very sorry to say. I have two books sitting beside my TV chair that I'm reading out of professional interest. I have a mystery thriller on my NordicTrak that is collecting dust because I'm just now getting back to exercising after the little wrist incident, and I have several books I'm reading on my Nook while I sit in waiting rooms or just before bed when and if I've finished all my work. Those are books by favorite authors, and the one I finally had time to finish this week is our own Jo's The Scandalous Countess. (I read Anne's Bride By Mistake and Joanna's The Black Hawk last month, which shows how far behind I am! And Nicola's Desired still languishes unread) I adore how smoothly Jo slips in fascinating tidbits of history, then hits us with one of the hottest, most original sex scenes I've read in a long time. And her scarred hero is utterly perfect in all ways, even if he wins the lady in a horse race!

Joanna Bourne
I seem to be going through a Young Adult patch in my reading right now.  I don't know why.  I've just finished War for the Oaks by Emma Bull.  It’s Urban Fantasy and very good. Readalikes are Peter S. Beagle's Folk of the Air, Robin McKinley's Sunshine, and Mercedes Lackey's Spirits White As Lightning .  Recently finished The Iron Duke by Meljean Brooks, a dystopian bit of fiction I'd like to call Young Adult Romantic Fantasy.  Is that hitting all the bases?  Beautiful work, and at the heart of the story is an examination of living with racial prejudice.  I finished off with C.S. Harris' Why Mermaids Sing.  Her Sebastian St. Cyr books are mystery, love story, and adventure set in the Regency/ French Revolutionary / Napoleonic War era.  They have spies.  Does this sound a bit familiar?

Susan Fraser King:
My eyes are bigger than my bookshelf -- so I accumulate quickly and just as quickly fall behind, but lately I'm diligently working my way through an eclectic assortment of fiction and nonfiction. I've just finished A History of Everyday Life in Medieval Scotland, 1000-1600, edited by Edward J. Cowan and Liz Henderson -- read it because I was asked to review it for an academic journal, and kept reading it because it's an excellent assortment of scholarly investigations into ordinary life concerns. Fiction-wise, I recently read I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, the fourth book in Alan Bradley's simply brilliant and totally charming mystery series about 11-year-old British sleuth Flavia de Luce (a series I adore, can you tell?). Right now, I'm deep into Keith Donohue's The Stolen Child, a fascinating story about the lives of a fairy changeling and the fairy-captured boy he replaces. Magical circumstances as every day occurrences, straightforward yet poetic writing, subtle characterization -- I'm loving it.

Mary Jo Putney
I just finished the delicious sixth Corinna Chapman mystery by Kerry Greenwood, Cooking the Books.  I discovered the series after Anne Gracie interviewed Kerry on the Word Wenches.

The stories are set in contemporary Melbourne and feature Corinna, former accountant and now a master baker, along with an extremely colorful cast of cats and other secondary characters.  The series is long on wit and charm and short on gore, which suits me.
 
In this just released book, Corinna has closed the bakery for a month after Christmas so she can rest, and finds herself ill-suited to holidays.  Bored, she lets an old school chum twist her arm into baking for the cast of a TV pilot.  She finds actors both horrifying and fascinating, and is soon up to her ears in baking, bearer bonds, and assorted other mayhem.  (There’s a tiger who loves anchovies, among other things. <G>)
 
I love Corinna, a happy and unashamed size 20, and it’s always fun when people are startled by the gorgeousness of her kind and clever Israeli P.I. lover.  Even more, I love Corrina’s world.  Having scarfed down all six in the series, I am impatiently waiting for new entries.


Jo Beverley
I'm reading Beyond The Night, an apocalyptic romance by Joss Ware, who also 
writes vampire Regency as Colleen Gleason. Generally I'm not into any sort of 
apocalypse, and I gave up SF for a while way back when that seemed to be all 
there was, but somehow Joss Ware makes her dark, ruined world fascinating. 
Plus, the characters and relationships are complex and very well done.


Anne Gracie
I've been reading a few debut books, recently. The first is Cecilia Grant's A Lady Awakened, which is an unusual historical romance with quite a risky premise, especially for a first book. I found it an engrossing read. The writing is very assured, and I'll certainly read her next book.

The other debut book is Deanna Raybourne's first book, Silent in the Grave, the first in a historical mystery series. I've come to her late and I'm glad of it because there are already more in the series, and though I'm only into chapter five, I suspect I'll be ordering the rest.

Next on my list is Lindsey Davis's Alexandria (and yes, I know I'm running behind, that there is a new book out now.) If you haven't discovered Lindsey Davis's Falco series of Roman-era mysteries, get thee to a bookstore immediately, because they're wonderful. Funny, clever, wry, beautifully researched and with a cast of delightful characters — and there's a lovely on-going romance as well. And if you're in doubt of whether you'll like her work, try her website with its delightful rants page. http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/rants.htm

Nicola Cornick
I’m having something of a rummage through my keeper shelves at the moment and enjoying some of my favourites over again. I’ve just finished Ordinary Girl in a Tiara, a fabulous girl-meets-her-Prince story by Jessica Hart who is one of my favourite Mills & Boon contemporary authors. I’m a total sucker for stories like this – last year I fell in love with Sophie Page’s wonderful romance To Marry a Prince. Both Ordinary Girl in a Tiara and the sequel The Secret Princess are wonderful warm romantic stories.

I’ve also been re-reading The Belle Dames Club by Melinda Hammond, a traditional Regency that is a lot of fun. It’s all about the wicked antics of a secret club for ladies! Also on the historical side, but historical crime this time, I’ve just finished The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey. It’s a Georgian murder mystery with a delicious romance and a wonderful sleuthing heroine in Ottilia Draycott. The second book in the series, The Deathly Portent, is out next month and I can’t wait! Next on my pile is The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley and I'm really looking forward to that!

Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose
My recent reading choices have been two very, very different types of books—yet both were really enjoyable. Mysteries are one of my favorite genres, and I happened to spot an interesting title on the “New Releases” shelf at my local library by a new-to-me author and so decided to give it a try. Death and the Maiden, by Gerald Elias is set within the world of classical music, and the plot centers around a (fictional) world -renowned string quartet—they are about to perform Schubert’s famous work by that same name at Carnegie Hall—who are in the midst of internal feuding and a potentially crippling lawsuit by a disgruntled former member. When the first violinist goes missing, the curmudgeonly former concert violinist and teacher, Daniel Jacobus is convinced by his protege to do some investigating. “Jake” is a fascinating protagonist—to begin with, he’s elderly and he’s blind. And he’s got a sardonic view of the world. It’s very well-written, with pithy dialogue and twisty plot turns.  I learned a lot about the inner world of music, which I know little about, so it was a fun read. I’ll be looking for the two earlier books in the series.

And at the moment, I’m halfway through Catherine the Great by Robert Massie. I’ve been a big fan of Massie’s books for years. (Peter the Great and Nicholas and Alexandra are particular favorites.) I love how he makes his subjects so human, and how he weaves in the history of the times, so a reader really understands the personality in context to the world in which he or she lived. (I was lucky enough to hear Massie speak last week in New York, and he’s equally wonderful in person. His passion for his subjects is very evident as he reads excerpts from their letters and tells some of the amusing anecdotes that he has uncovered in his research.)

It would be hard NOT to make Catherine the Great a riveting read. Her story, from a loveless childhood as an obscure German princess to a bizarre marriage with the half-crazy Peter III to becoming one of the most powerful rulers of her age, is absolutely fascinating. She is truly one of the most remarkable women in history, so I really recommend it!

So, that's what we've been enjoying. How about you? See any of your favorites on the list? And now it's your turn—please share what books you've been reading that made you heart sing.

Comments

[Mary Jo Putney]

Thanks for doing a "what we're reading" AAW, Cara/Andrea! I love these because I always find new books to put on my tottering To Be Read Mountain. *g*

[Artemisia]

Thanks for all the great leads! But there is not enough time! I just found Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside. I'm looking for the next 3 books now.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

LOL, Mary Jo. Me, too! I love seeing what the other Wenches are reading. I just finished The Gilded Shroud a few weeks ago, so was delighted to see Nicola liked it too. And now have all the other Wench recommendations to stack up. But, hey, one can never have enough good books!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Oh, I know what you mean, Artemesia. I'm now going back to find the first two Daniel Jacobus books. I do like series in that you can really get to know the protagonists and watch them grow and evolve. To me, that's fascinating.

[Janga]

I see many favorites on your lists. There are the Wench books, of course, and I never miss a book by C. S. Harris, Alan Bradley, or Deanna Raybourn. I thought A Lady Awakened was an extraordinary book, and, like Anne, I look forward to Grant's next book.

I've read several debut books recently that I thoroughly enjoyed--How to Dance with a Duke by my friend Manda Collins, Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow, and The Runaway Countess by Leigh LaValle. In addition to debut books, I loved Rainshadow Road, contemporary romance with a touch of magical realism, by Lisa Kleypas and A Week to Be Wicked, Tessa Dare's March 27 release, which features a wholly delightful rake as hero.

I'm also raving to all my friends about Paris in Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James which I've read twice already. I am still keeping it on my desk and revisting favorite vignettes. Today I begin an ARC of The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal, one of my favorite writers regardless of the name she puts in her books.

I love the question "What are you reading?" because I always have some book that I'm eager to share. I average a book a day. I may read only a few chapters when I'm on deadline, but I make up for it between projects when I may read three or more in a single day.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Thanks for sharing, Janga! I see lots of my favorites on your list, as well as some new-to-me authors I look forward to trying.

I am very much looking forward to Paris In Love. I've pre-ordered it and am eagerly awaiting its arrival

[Lilian Darcy]

Some great recs, here! I'm always looking for new auto-buy authors. I'm currently reading Joan Kilby's "Gentlemen Prefer Nerds," - a fun jewel-heist-themed romantic caper.

[Liz]

Came across Alan Bradley's series accidentally and then read all. Wonderful!

And Deanna Raybourne's Silent in the Grave.

Nicola, you are good.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Lilian. Thae sounds fun!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Liz, I'm a big fan of Deanna Raybourn. And of Nicola, of course! :) She IS good, isn't, she!

[LilMissMolly]

So many excellent books, so little time. My job really puts a cramp into my reading time! I'm currently reading Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow. I love it!

[Janice]

I read Anne Gracie's Bride by Mistake this week; I liked it a lot and would recommend it even to high sticklers :)

Right now I'm reading a Deborah Hale from Harlequin with a really silly title in the Harlequin style. Although one sentence made me spit my diet coke, it's a good read overall and I will probably read the remainder of this series next.

On my kindle I'm rereading A Princess of Mars and a new YA by Claudia Christian.

Waiting is Elisabeth Sladen's autobiography, The Sherlockian and a book on Star Trek physics.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Janice! A very interesting list!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

I agree, LilMissMolly! I wish I had a few extra hours each day just to read!

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL! Liz, Cara, thank you! I've heard a lot of good things about Sweet Enemy and must pick that up. I too love Bride by Mistake.

[Margot]

I just got Jo Beverley's A Scandalous Countess, so it is next on my list to read! I, too, just read Lisa Kleypas' Rainshadow Road, and quite enjoyed it.

Other than that, I have a pile of nonfiction that I'm slowly making my way through, and my decision to (finally) start taking notes on them so I don't forget things is certainly slowing me down :"D I just started Thomas Gainsborough and the Modern Woman, which is about how Gainsborough painted various (somewhat scandalous) leading society ladies in the 1700s.

Of the books you guys listed, I've only read The Iron Duke, A Lady Awakened, and The Rose Garden. The Iron Duke I picked up because I thought it would have something to do with Wellington (it obviously didn't, except for certain parallels that might be drawn between the Horde and Napoleon's forces, and also the aristocracy in America still stuck in the Regency.) I wouldn't say it's YA, though... A Lady Awakened was interesting, but her refusal to take any pleasure from the affair bothered me. Especially since, according to my research, at the time, female orgasm was believed to help women become pregnant. From what I remember, it was believed that female orgasms released the female equivalent to semen, so if she was looking to get pregnant, she'd want to orgasm. As for The Rose Garden, it was in first person, which really bothers me in romance novels, because I have no idea what the man is thinking. (And the sex scene was cut off.)

[Karin]

I'm taken a couple of the wenches books with me on vacation, Black Hawk & Scandalous Countess. I've just started reading 'Sweet Enemy' and it looks like a winner. The heroine is a serious scientist(chemistry), reminds me a bit of Cara Elliott's Circle of Sin series. I think the lastest C.S. Harris book just got released and I'm dying to get hold of that one too. Non-fiction wise, I like to read about WWII, and I've got two that are about behind-the-scenes spying and OSS stuff, "Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory " and "The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington".

[Janice]

Karin, I have Operation Mincemeat in the TBR too - I got it because I have that movie, The Man Who Never Was - one of the most exciting Brit thrillers ever - and I wanted to read more about it. Thanks for the Roald Dahl book recommendation - it's going on my list :)

I am also reading UFOS Im Wartime by Mack Maloney, a fascinating summary of all the weird stuff military people have seen in the skies. No woowoo conclusions, just what was reported.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Karin, I'm really looking forward to the arrival of the new C.S. Harris too (have it on pre-order) and have marked Operation Mincemeat as a TBR. The Roald Dahl looks fascinating too. If you like WWII, have you read Rick Atkinson;s An Army at Dawn and The Day of Battle? Both superb books on the North African campaign and the invasion of Italy. (And thank you for the mention!)

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Margot. very interesting thoughts about A Lady Awakened. I've been e hearing about this book, and will definitely put it on my list to see for myself.d

[Karin]

Thanks for the recommendations!

[Wendy]

Nicola...I also fell in love with Sophie Page's To Marry a Prince (i've read it at least 4 times), I just finished Mary Balough's re-release Temporary Wife/ a Promise of Sprint, and just re-read Nora Roberts in the Garden Trilogy. On my TBR list right now I have Mary Jo's Dark Mirror, George R R Martin's A Game of Thrones, Sabrina Jeffries A Hellion In her Bed, A biography of the Queen Mother, and about 2 dozen other various books :) And with some of the ones listed above, that list is going to grow.