WWR — What We Read in October

Anne here, bringing you this month's "What We're reading" in which the various wenches share their reading picks for the last month and everyone else joins in in the comments stream. Warning, it can be quite expensive. I've already bought three of this month's books.

We start with Pat Rice, who recommends Charming by Elliott James— an urban fantasy. Pat says: "I can’t remember who told me about this book, but thank you! It’s fantasy on a level with Patricia Briggs. The characterization is amazing.

The hero is an outcast from an ancient group of Knights Templar who are under a geas to protect the veil between humans and the supernatural. Because the hero’s mother was bitten by a werewolf, he has unnatural tendencies and is despised and hunted by his father’s knights. His conflicts are manifold but his sarcasm is hilarious.

Like Briggs, this is not a bloodfest nor erotica, but a strong contemporary fantasy with a fascinating stage of characters on a vampire hunt. The action scenes are beautifully choreographed and hard to skim, even though I usually skim violence the same way I do sex scenes. If you can handle another vampire hunter, check this one out."

Nicola says:  I’ve been through a lot of different stuff in my reading this month. I’m not sure why I’m genre-hopping so much at the moment but I am. Here are the highlights.   I caught up with one of Deborah Crombie’s 'Kincaid and Jones' series that I hadn’t read before, All Will Be Well. We’ve talked about this crime series a fair bit on Word Wenches before because a number of us are fans. I loved this book for the intricate plotting and the clever denouement. I also like the frisson of awareness that there is between Gemma and Duncan that you know is going to flare up into something hot!  

 Then I hopped to a thriller, Clive Cussler’s Skeleton Coast. I picked it up because I had been to the Skeleton Coast and the cover copy mentioned the mystery of a 19th century shipwreck. That was what drew me in. Unfortunately it barely featured in the story at all. The perils of being misled by cover copy!

My kindle burned the midnight oil over Christmas Ever After, by Sarah Morgan. I haven’t cried so much over a book – in a good way – for a long time! It’s no secret that Sarah is a friend of mine and I love her warm, funny stories, her gorgeous heroes and smart heroines. This was a very special read. (The US edition is a 2 in 1 with a book by Lori Foster!)

Now I’m trying a bit of historical non-fiction, How to Ruin a Queen by Jonathan Beckman. It’s non-fiction that reads like the raciest fiction, telling the story of how Queen Marie Antoinette’s reputation was ruined by the affair of the diamond necklace. Superb.  

Cara/Andrea says: This past month, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC of our own Nicola Cornick’s House of Shadows, which releases in the UK and Australia next week. Her debut into historical romantic mystery/suspense is a riveting read, featuring three timelines, a trio of complex heroines, a plot that twines the battle of good and evil over four centuries—oh, and did I mention a dash of magic! I found it hard to put down—was up way too late on several nights, thinking, “oh, just another chapter!”(And—no spoilers—I was delighted with how cleverly she tied up all the story threads in such a wonderful way.) It’s not yet released in the US, but you can order it at Book Depository.  

 And sticking with the historical mystery/suspense theme, I also glommed up Deanna Raybourn’s Night of a Thousand Stars, a rollicking  adventure set in the the 1920s Middle East, with a wink and tip of the fedora to the Indiana Jones films and the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters. A little more humorous and tongue-in-cheek than her Lady Julia mysteries, it features Lady Julia’s headstrong niece, who climbs out the window of the church to avoid wedding a nice but boring aristocrat. She is, after all, one of the “Mad” March family of eccentrics—as she informs the charming curate who helps her escape. And with that the plot is off and running! It’s a madcap plot involving villains, a horde of historic gold, a sexy spy—all of which add up to a very fun, light-hearted read.

Joanna is in a reading slump and finding it hard to find books that truly engage her. She says: I can't do a WWR this month. There has been a lamentable lack of reading. Now, I've actually read some Dunnett and some Hillerman and some On Writing and some Bird by Bird, but those are authors I've talked about before or somebody else has covered them.

I keep picking up books and ten pages in I decide they are flat, stale and unprofitable and I put them in a bag for the library in the hope someone else will find them inflated, fresh and well monetized.  The only wholly satisfying thing I've read recently is a brioche recipe.

From Mary Jo: I have a fondness for light-hearted British period mysteries, which is why I enjoy Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series, which is set in the early 1930s.  The heroine, Lady Georgiana Rannoch--Georgie--is a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the daughter of a Scottish duke and a flamboyant actress.  When the series starts, she's 33rd in line for the British throne.  Sadly, she has royal blood and royal responsibilities, but not a royal income, so she tends to live hand to mouth.   Luckily, Queen Mary has found that Georgie is good at discreet investigations of matters that affect the royal family, and when she sends Georgie on a mission, it often includes bed and board as well death and danger.  <G>  A running thread is Queen Mary's worry over the royal heir's infatuation with an American divorcee.  (Wallis Warfield Simpson is a minor character who appears with some regularity and is always unpleasant.)  

In the newest novel, MALICE AT THE PALACE, the queen asks Georgie to act as a companion and social mentor to Princess Marina, who was to marry Prince George, the fourth royal son, in a few weeks.  This was a real marriage that did take place, but given the prince's lurid reputation, part of Georgie's job is to keep the charming Marina from learning too much about her fiancé's past.  Then one of Prince Georgie's former girlfriends turns up dead outside Kensington Palace, where Georgie and Marina are staying….  This part is fictional, but the murder is woven well into the story and the times.  I enjoyed the book, and it was improved by some growth in several of the major characters.  I hope the series continues all the way through 1936, when the newly crowned King Edward VII abdicates his throne to marry his American divorcee!  

Jo Beverley says: I've been dipping into Beauty and Chivalry: The Duchess of Richmond's Ball by Lisa Evesleigh. The ball, of course, took place on the eve of Waterloo, and by use of first hand accounts and some key minor participants, Evesleigh casts new light on the event.

I'm behind on Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum's adventures, but I picked up Takedown Twenty from 2013 and enjoyed another visit to that crazy Jersey world.

And lastly there's me, Anne Gracie. First up was the latest in Mary Balogh's ONLY A KISS -- the latest in her 'Survivors Club' series. A new Mary Balogh is unmissable in my view.

Next was Kristan Higgins, IF YOU ONLY KNEW. I really enjoy Kristan Higgins books — contemporary, warm-hearted small town romances. I've been slowly glomming her backlist as well.

 Lastly, I read an old Marsha Canham that was free on Kindle -- ACROSS A MOONLIT SEA -- a classic pirate romance that I relished. Of course I bought the rest in the series. Don't you love it when out-of-print books become available again as e-books? I did the same when Joan Wolf republished all her books as e-books — what a glom that was!

 So, over to you — what books have you read and enjoyed lately? Or are you like Joanna this month, finding it hard to find something that captures your interest?

Comments

[Teresa]

I've been reading all sorts Tuchman, Rowbottom, Ms Gracie's backlist and lots of others too especially liked Audrey Faye's 'Destiny's Song' Sort of off world sci fi romance .. A wide church :-)

[Shannon McEwan]

Sold on Charming! Also downloaded Marsha Canham's Across a Moonlit Sea (been a while since I've read a good pirate)

Earlier this month I glommed Alexis Hall's 'Spires' books -'Glitterland', 'Waiting for the Flood', 'For Real' - fantastic contemporary M/M romances that have a lovely feel to them.

I also finally got around to reading KJ Charles 'Think of England' - an Edwardian M/M with suspense elements that impressed me so much that I immediately went on to read the first of KJ Charles 'League of Fashionable Gentlemen' - Regency set M/M.

This past week I seem to have started on a short story binge, starting with a fantastic anthology 'Engraved on the Eye', by Saladin Ahmed - a unique magical/speculative style featuring lots of dervishes. I've just started on the Book Smugglers curated anthology 'Retold: six fairy tales re-imagined' - only a few pages in, but it's very seductive.

[Anne Gracie]

Teresa, I enjoy a good variety, too. I havent heard anything aboutAudrey Fayes Destinys Song but I might check it out. It sounds like my cuppa. Hope youre enjoying my backlist. Thanks. :)

[Anne Gracie]

Oh dear, Shannon, my credit card is going to love you. ;) So many intriguing-sounding books there. I just bought the book Teresa mentioned and now Im looking at your list.
Thanks for the recommendations.

[Mary T]

I'm reading one of the two Christmas novellas being offered by Mary Balogh. It is a little early for Christmas, but I love her stuff so much I didn't want to wait.

Ms. Gracie I just remembered one of my favorites by you is HIS CAPTIVE LADY. I think I'll pull it up on my kindle and re-read it as soon as I finish THE CHRISTMAS GIFT.

[Sonya Heaney]

"I keep picking up books and ten pages in I decide they are flat, stale and unprofitable and I put them in a bag for the library in the hope someone else will find them inflated, fresh and well monetized."

Oh, I've been through that a few times recently! I have no normal phases. I'm either loving everything, or struggling to read... I have been lucky though that recently I've been enjoying a lot of books.

I am so very, VERY glad that now almost 100% of my books are review books. I can't imagine how much money I would have spent on books I didn't want if I had to buy everything I reviewed! I do always buy a copy of books I liked, however.

[Shannon]

My debit card is crying. This month was about familiar authors. (I'm doing a lot of re-reading because of course I can stop because I know what happens next. It's not working.)

I read the last in Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series, the Legend of Lyon Redmond. Finally Olivia's and Lyon's HEA; it has been a long wait.

I also picked up Grace Burrowes' Matthew. It was nice to see a slightly older hero and heroine. There's a few, but not very big, surprises wrapped up in warm, affectionate prose.

[Anne Gracie]

Oh, I hadnt seen the two Balogh Christmas stories-- thanks Mary -- Ill head off and grab them. Tis the season for Christmas stories. And thanks for enjoying my Harry and Nell story. I did write a Christmas story for Harlequin -- not sure if you can get it on kindle or not — The Virtuous Widow.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, Sonya, I think we all go through reading slumps. I was in one a while back and blogged about it. http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2015/01/jaded-readers.html But at the moment, I have a wide range of enticing reading matter awaiting me, so Im happy.

I do think its harder to find good books by new writers -- not that new writers arent writing good books, but because there are soooo many new books and writers out there, its hard to find the good ones. Still, I think were lucky to have such a range to choose from. Id rather too many books than not enough.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Shannon -- I recently started the Pennyroyal Green series -- from a recommendation here, I think, and enjoyed the first book and will read the next one when Ive finished my own current wip (work-in-progress) which will be soon! I cant wait. Im planning on an orgy . . . of reading. ;)

[Sue McCormick]

October has all about re-reading in my house.

One new-to-me book — a young person's fantasy "Thief's Luck" by Debbie Millitello which I bought from her writer's group table at my annual attendance at Archon, a regional Science Fiction convention. Debbie and other authors of that group are friends of mine from years of attendance at Archons.

I began the rereads because I also attended a 4-day stitch-in in Nebraska. At events like Archon and the Reflections retreat new books keep one distracted from the main event.

i have been downloading Mary Balogh's Bedwyn-family stories onto my eReader and devouring each book as soon as I download it.

[Janice]

I read Simone St. Claire's An Inquiry into Love and Death, Elizabeth Speller's The Strange Disappearance of Kitty Easton, Annie Jacobson's Area 51, Charles Todd's A Pattern of Lies, the most recent by Mary Jo Putney and Mary Balogh, some old regencies for review (most notably The Courting of Jenny Bright by Sandra Heath) and some kindle samples and that was about it.

Now that I have a functional all region dvd player again, I've been catching up on the Brits, with a bunch of new Peter Cushing blurays, some Brit noir, At Home With the Georgians, and one cracking good series, Home Fires.

[janice l dunlap]

just finished Anne Tyler"s A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD, fantastic, could not put it down read in one sitting, I think it may be better than her Pulitzer Prize winning BREATHING LESSONS, recommend both. Last week read THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, wonderful mystery, in between have been binge reading Grace Burroughs, delightful. Jan

[Laurie A]

I seem to be reading a lot of YA for older teens or adults including the Ren Crown series by Anna Zoelle, excellent world building (or should I say school building) and all the blunders one would make if she just found out she had some magic and did not know the rules; the Etiquette and Espionage series by Gail Carringer, where girls attend finishing school, and I do mean they learn how to finish their assignments. I am waiting for the last of the series to come out next week. I went on to purchase Ms. Carrier's Parasol Protectorate, which is more for adults and takes place 30 years after the Etiquette series, but was written first. I have also read about 5 other books this month including your new Christmas book

[Anne Gracie]

Sue, sounds like you have a busy and productive life. I gather a stitch-in is a sewing thing, so you really get around.Sounds like fun.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks Janice -- I might check outThe Courting of Jenny Bright by Sandra Heath. Havent read any of hers. Im not at all well-read in some of the earlier regencies -- they didnt get to Australia, and some Im only discovering on kindle re-releases. Im also planning a bit of a dvd watching session when Ive finished this book. I havent seen Outlander yet -- only read the books. Thanks for the recommendations — will check out Home Fires.

[Anne Gracie]

I love Anne Tylers writing, Janice but havent yet readA SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD. Thanks.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Laurie, Ive read some of the Gail Carriger books and enjoyed them. I think I picked them up from one of the wenches. :)

[[email protected]]

Hi Anne: I have loved so many of your books in the past. I picked up THE AUTUMN BRIDE and loved it. Partly I want you to know by the absolutely gorgeous covers the 'book cover fairy' blessed you with. I fully intend to grab the rest of this series in the very near future!!!! Bless you!

[Sue McCormick]

In my case "Stitch-In" refers to Embroidery.

Doing Counted Embroideries and working on Genealogy are my other two hobbies (besides reading and discussing reading, both online and at SF Conventions).

[Andrea Penrose]

Arrgh! Talk about credit card danger! There are SO many wonderful titles mentioned here. May have to splurge this month. I've been having trouble finding some new-to-me authors lately, but this list has me scribbling down names to check out. Thanks to all our readers who share their finds! I love this monthly book fest!

[Barbara Monajem]

I got caught up in the Sir Robert Carey mysteries by P.F. Chisholm (aka Patricia Finney). Absolutely brilliant historical mysteries (Elizabethan era) -- a wonderfully energetic writing style and great historical detail.

[Teresa Broderick]

Can anyone tell me what 'glommed' means? Came across it a few times in this article.

[Teresa Broderick]

I've just discovered Simone St Clair and thoroughly enjoyed An Inquiry into Love and Death. Can't wait to read more.

[Teresa Broderick]

I've just finished Brooklyn by our own wonderful Colm Toibin. The film is due out here in Ireland next week and I can't wait. Ending was kinda sad and abrupt really so wondering how they'll do it in the film. Not a book like I normally read but I enjoy his stories.I'm waiting with bated breath for Nicola's new book which I was SO lucky to win on her website.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks for the explanation, Sue — embroidering is such a wonderfully intricate and skilled thing. My grandmother was skilled at it, and I have several of her pieces, but you can count on your fingers the things Ive embroidered.

[Anne Gracie]

Me too Cara/Andrea -- Im looking to a feast of reading.

[Anne Gracie]

Oh dear, Barbara -- I havent heard of these and they sound just my cup of tea. Thank s you. I feel the credit card jiggling excitedly. Another outing. ;)

[Anne Gracie]

Hi Teresa — glommed is an American term that I picked up some years back. It means something like to grab or hold onto something, but for me, since I first encountered it in on-line reading discussions it means to gobble up the books of a particular author. Eg I read a Mary jo Putney book the other day and immediately glommed her backlist. Ive found it a very useful word. ;)

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks Teresa -- will check her out.

[Anne Gracie]

Colm Toibin is a wonderful literary writer. A friend of mine, who is a superb writer herself, lists him as her favourite writer. I didnt know there was a film coming out of one of his books. Thanks for the heads up.

[Karin]

I think in this context it means "gobbled up" or "grabbed onto".

[Janice]

The Courting of Jenny Bright has some interesting plot points to it, which I discuss in my review, which yvonne will post in the fullness of time. I wonder if what she did with Jenny would be allowed now in a genre romance. S

andra Heath aka Sandra Wilson was quite prolific; I would suggest her earlier books, perhaps Lady Jane's Ribbons, which we both liked, though, as usual, for different reasons!

http://hibiscus-sinensis.com/regency/retroread01.htm#7

[Janice]

I first heard "glom" in sf fandom I dunnamany years ago, in the context of finding and reading all of a newly discovered author's backlist.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, Karin -- thats certainly how I use it.

[Anne Gracie]

Brilliant -- thanks for that, Janice.
Some of those earlier books were quite groundbreaking and different, werent they? Lets hope the surge of ndependent publishing brings us some fresh and original work.

[Anne Gracie]

And Janice, maybe you could pop your review on my FB page or somewhere when it gets posted. Id be interested to read it.

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you so much, Mystik88 -- lovely of you to say so. I hope you enjoy the others.

[Karin]

I read the Wenches Christmas anthology, "The Last Chance Christmas Ball" and I enjoyed each and every story. Then I reread MJP's "Silk and Shadows", because of that Kindle .99 sale! I had forgotten most of the story, and it's a great one, with that very manipulative hero that MJ manages to redeem by the end of the book. And speaking of manipulative and cynical heroes, I found another one in an old traditional Regency by Charlotte Louise Dolan, "Fallen Angel". I highly recommend it as a cure for reading slump. The hero is hot-tempered and bitter about all women, and the heroine appears to be a mouse, but she is very calm and sanguine, no matter what he does. She reminded me a bit of Mary Challoner from Devil's Cub. It's got humor and great character development and poignant emotion, all without even a kiss being exchanged until the very end, after they are married.
I also read "An American Duchess" by Sharon Page. It's set in the Roaring 20's with a shell-shocked WW I veteran as the hero. Page's previous books were rather erotic Regencies, and this is her first foray into more of a "women's fiction" type book. I feel like she tried to equip the heroine with every 1920's stereotype she could stuff in there(bobbed hair, short skirts, goes out to speakeasies, drives too fast, etc.). Lots of things kept happening in the plot which was kind of soap opera-ish, but I have to admit it kept me up reading late at night. Has potential and I'd probably try another of her books.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks Karin -Charlotte Louise Dolan --Credit card is having a party ;) The Sharon Page book sounds interesting, too.

[LilMissMolly]

I just finished Claire Delacroix's The Highlander's Curse in audio. Loved it!

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks LilMissMolly -- I do like a good Scottish story. But I dont listen to audio nearly as often as I used to when I was driving much more often.

[Janice]

Check your email.

[Janice]

Charlotte Louise Dolan is one of my favorite authors from the Signet line, and it's nice to see that her books and novelettes are available for kindle pretty inexpensively.

My colleague yvonne has done a page for her:

http://hibiscus-sinensis.com/regency/charlotte_louise_dolan.htm

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks for that, Janice. The hibiscus sinensis site is a great resource

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Janice

[Anne Gracie]

I forgot to thank you for your kind words about the Wenchly anthology THE LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS BALL. Thanks Karin. :)

[Karin]

I'm not a big short story reader, but it really is a great collection! And lovely the way they tied together. And thanks for your reviews, Janice. I used to read the Signets in paperback when they first came out, but there were some authors that I missed, so it's wonderful to discover them now.

[Anne Gracie]

Im so pleased you enjoyed it. We all worked pretty hard to tie it together. Thanks.

[DB Tait]

So much to read! So little time! In October one of my stand out books was Janice Hadlow's The Strangest Family: George III, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians. Who'd be a royal? Either constantly pregnant or not allowed to marry. To balance that I've been glomming Susan Sey's Blake brother's contemporary romances. Love them!

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, Deb, I certainly agree about whod want to be a royal? Even now -- especially now, actually. I do not get the romance trope fantasy of marrying a prince. But that book sounds very interesting -- thanks. And I dont know the Susan Sey Blake books at all -- might have to investigate. cheers.