I've been LOVING my Kindle lately. Did you see Oprah tout hers the other day? I know she got criticized for pushing an expensive product, in these days of the slumping economy, but to be fair, she made it very clear that it wasn't for everyone, that it was only for those who wanted and could afford the luxury. She also got Amazon to knock $50 off each one.
I know how she feels, with her Kindle religion. I'm reading so much more lately. I can't really say why — it's just easy. I don't have to decide what book to carry; I already have it with me.
Lately I've been reading a lot of romance, trying to catch up with what I've been missing.
Kristan Higgins, Just one of the Boys: I loved this. A six-foot newspaper editor who rows and runs — it didn't seem like something that I'd totally love, but the reviews got me to pick this up. I'm so glad I did. Her writing is funny and sharp, and even though you know exactly where the book is going, it's satisfying. Actually, I liked that Higgins didn't waste time trying to throw me off the scent — we know who the main character's going to end up with, and we are pleased that it's going that way. I can't wait to read another of hers, but I'm going to let a couple of books elapse between the last, lest my own writing voice start to sound exactly like hers.Which,come to think of it, wouldn't be bad.
Suzanne Brockmann, The Unsung Hero: Reading now. I'm starting here, with the first in the series, because people LOVE her. I mean, at RWA National, people freaked out when she walked by. Also, she's really cute and gave a great speech. I've been told that the first couple of books in this series aren't as great as her subsequent books, and it's not fantabulous yet, about two-thirds in, so it's living up to that. But it's good. I will read more of her books.
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Annie Dillard, The Writing Life: I'm rereading the first, and reading for the first time the second. When I'm writing Nanowrimo-fast, I don't want my voice to be too colored by anyone else, so I restrict myself to reading books on writing before I sleep. Other books are fine during the day, but not at night, not just before I drift off thinking about what's going to happen on the page the next morning. Bird by Bird is still wonderful. Lamott has a voice that sometimes puts up my hackles, and I'm not sure why, but she's kind of like that aunt who comes around and needles you and says wise things and bugs you a little, but you remember really good things about her when she's not there.
IN THE QUEUE:
Kate Perry, Project Date: She's in my RWA chapter! She's cool! Yay!
Susan Wiggs, Just Breathe: Have read good things about her. Looking forward to it.
Anything you're loving right now? Romance is good.
I really liked both of those writing books–and I have quite a collection of them these days! I still do my reading on paper, though….
I’ve been having a so-so time with my books lately. So far this month, the book I’ve enjoyed the most was “How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls” by Zoey Dean. It was light but fun, and I enjoy the TV show that is based on it.
I have a stack of library books on my table, but I can’t decide what to read next. “Garlic and Sapphires” (a memoir) is next on my list, but I really want to dive into “Sabrina” (a Christian romance). While I’m wrestling with myself, I’m flipping through “Everyday Fashions of the Sixties, As Pictured in Sears Catalogs” :-).
“Remembering the Bones” by Frances Itani. Haunted, in a good way, for the two weeks since I finished it.
Do you only read contemporary romance? If no, Laura Lee Guhrke is a great author, as is Julia Quinn (I like her older stuff better). If you are fortunate enough to find them, Suz Brockmann’s Tall Dark and Dangerous series (from.. Silhouette Intimate Moments) is what really launched her career. I’m a romance junkie…
“Casting Spells” by Barbara Bretton…a paranormal romance with a yarn store owner as the main character and a bit of mystery thrown in!! An author couldn’t come up with a better combo for me if she tried!
It’s new, pretty good, and apparently might be the first in a series about this Vermont town where everyone is supernatural.
Perfect for my bedtime reading.
1) 1916 by morgan llewelyn. it’s good, obviously a predictable story…. i only picked it up because it was on the shelf in my partner’s study.
2) fatal passage by ken mcgoogan. fantastic story. John Rae was an explorer back in the late 1800’s and he contributed greatly to both canadian and world geography. sadly for him, he also discovered the fate of the Franklin mission and his accounts of what happened rendered him almost erased completly from the history books (because the tragedy of the lengths that dying men can resort to apparently offended victorian sociey).
thanks for the list of romance books – i don’t generally read a lot of romance, but i really liked what i read of yours and so i think i’d like to read some more!
I just finished B. Kingsolvers “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”, which was great. Kind of a love story with local food.
I wish, wish, wish I could hold a Kindle in my hands. I’m so curious about them. Did you see the Times essay about them last week? http://tiny.cc/83hFX
I got interviewed by my local paper this week because I read on my Kindle and my iPhone!
I love Susan Wiggs.
Have you read Susie Crandall? She’s another favorite Susan author. Oh, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, of course. I also hear great things about Susan Mallery, though I haven’t read her.
One more Susan, and we have a jeopardy category.
I have been completely consumed by my Kindle. I’ve read an obscene number of books now. I read the entire Twilight series 5 times (20 books there), the Southern Vampire Mysteries twice (that’s an 8 book series, so that’s 16 books), then there’s the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton (16 books, thank god I only read those once) and now I’m reading the Merry Gentry series also by Laurell K Hamilton (I’m on book 4 now). And this is since September 9th. I. Love. My. Kindle.
I second Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I like Brockman, too.Liz Carlyle is great, but for some reason I haven’t liked the last few. Start at the beginning with her. It’s period –don’t know if you like that. I’m a big fan of Anne LaMott. Have you read Stephen King “On Writing”?
I took a Creative Writing class at my college last semester and the instructor assigned Bird by Bird as one of our textbooks. I already had a dog-eared copy so my first reaction was to wonder how she got away with assigning a book with swear here in the heart of the Bible belt. It was pretty awesome.
I adore Anne Lamott. She is somewhat caustic but in the best way. Maybe because she published things about herself that I’m afraid to admit or maybe because her version of faith would make most of my neighbor’s heads explode. Sometimes reading one of her nonfiction books feels like an act to save my sanity.