Heading into a long weekend, and with a trip on the California Zephyr train [will be on that train 3-31/2 days total] upcoming, it’s time to look at summer reading! I have a number of books I’ve been meaning to read, I will mention a few here today. The four books you see above are ones that are releasing this summer (that I’m quite excited for!) but I have more to talk about too.
Jennifer Estep gets to go first, because I have enjoyed every book she’s written! If you’re looking for a YA book fix, I strongly recommend her Mythos Academy series. Dark Frost is the latest in the series, and it releases this Tuesday. Her Elemental Assassin is of course my #1 Urban Fantasy series – period.
Meg Cabot has a new Heather Wells book coming out! I am really looking forward to reading this one, and I hope it is a lot of fun. I’m excited to see her back with a book that is neither YA nor paranormal. Just a murder/mystery/romance with a former teen pop star heroine.
Ilona Andrews is a husband/wife writing team and for dark, gritty, action packed, amazing books I suggest everything they’ve written. Indeed – I have never given one of their books less than an A-.
Jen Lancaster has a new book just out. I actually was excited for this one and downloaded it… but 3 pages in closed it and grabbed something else. Not in the mood? I guess… I hope I can get into it soon because her first two books were so funny – and perfect summer reads.
Meljean Brookis a new-to-me author that I’m hoping to check out more this summer – as always I will let you know what I discover.
W hat other books will I uncover this summer? Who will be the best poolside or curled up in my favorite chair reads? I guess I will find out! I will be sure to share new favorites that I find along the way.
I am a confessed book worm, a lover of happily ever after and great fiction. I do like some darker, grittier urban fantasy fiction too now and then and today I want to take a minute to discuss one of my top 5 ALL TIME favorite authors. An author I trust even when she has me cringing and peeking through my fingers at the page as her characters enter situations I’m not sure they can survive (but know that they must!).
I have been a fan of Jennifer Estep’s since I first stumbled across a copy of her novel Karma Girl several years ago in a bookstore. I can honestly say I’ve liked every one of her books, and many of them are all time favorites. When she left her world of Super Heroes behind for a new series that she said was going to be way more really dark, violent, and gritty… well I was nervous. A series about a female assassin known as the Spider who is a stone cold killer, runs a BBQ joint called the Pork Pit and who was orphaned as a kid? Really?
Oh yes, really. Since page one of book one I’ve been a huge fan of the series. You would think that a cold hearted killer would be a really unlikeable character but the thing is – she’s a survivor. Gin Blanco gives her loyalty to few, but she will fight to the death for those people. In her world there are vampires, dwarves, giants, and magic… yet it’s not an over the top anything is possible and some characters are invincible kind of place. I like that Gin is very grounded, I love her love of cooking.
She’s taken on a lot of big bad guys, her life has changed tremendously, and I’ve been glued to each and every page – and with the conclusion of each book I anxiously await the next. She gets her butt kicked, but she kicks even more and as you get to know her and as she lets more people into her life you can’t help but love her and root for her.
Today the newest of the Elemental Assassin series was released (By a Thread), book #6. Gin is going on a “vacation” which of course leads to super bad guys, people from her past, and drama with her sister too. I was lucky enough to get to read an advance copy (oh yes, and I cherished every page!) I can say this: if you are interested in this book series but didn’t want to read books 1-5 and instead start here, you could. The back story is covered nicely, and without spoiling the series so far I will just say that there is a new direction and focus because a villain central to books 1-5 is gone. There’s fallout over it, but anyhow yes- you could start from here. Also? It’s so far my FAVORITE book of the series. It was an amazing read – I loved every twist and surprise the author had in store.
It’s really rare for a series to get stronger and to capture my attention even more, to remain #1 on my list – but this one has. It’s far more typical that a writer falls into some ruts, the plot stalls, the stories get dull… not so with Estep! She blends in just the right amount of humor with the gritty, raw, dark world of an assassin that just wants to be retired and live a normal life. (ha ha, sorry, that ain’t happening!)
note: Jennifer Estep is also authoring a really cool young adult series about a young woman who discovers she has power (and is to be a champion for a God and kick some evil God & organization butt) called the Mythos Academy series. Filled with mythology and lots of teen angst, not to mention a story I can’t quit – it’s the only YA series I read. Book #3 comes out in a few months, I’ll be sure to talk about it here!
I’ll leave you with my recommendations for where to start with this author (if her stories appeal to you as they do me, that is!):
All of Jennifer Estep’s books are available in e-book format and most in print as well – amazon has them all here. Her website is www.jenniferestep.com and on twitter she can be found at https://twitter.com/#!/Jennifer_Estep [and she’s one of those AWESOME authors who actually tweets back/replies to email. LOVE that about her!]
I hope to see many more of her books – not to mention finding out what her characters will be up to next…
Lunch actually happened about three weeks ago, however I had hoped to read her latest book BEFORE I posted about the lunch. The thing is, I haven’t quite been able to make the time for relaxing and reading it! Still – I wanted to go ahead and post these photos and GUSH about the darling Thea Harrison because she. is. awesome. Also because I am giving away some of her books!!
So here’s the background: one day I got a message on twitter. Very casual, just something about “how would you like to go to lunch on my release day to celebrate my new book Serpent’s Kiss?” kind of thing. I think I screamed. a lot. and replied something like yes YES yes. You needn’t ask! a million times yes!
It’s no secret that I LOVE reading, and the idea of spending part of her release day with an author I love sent me right over the edge into bliss-land. It was such a COOL thing – that this author was reaching out to Bay Area fans to join her for a lunch – I was geeked out. It never occurred to me to be nervous about meeting other fans and going in knowing nobody because, hello, they’re also fans of Thea so they MUST be awesome!!
Guess what? I was right. Lovely ladies and a great lunch at PF Chang’s in Emeryville + 2hrs later and I had lots of new reading recs and a big smile. Even cooler? Thea gave us each a copy of her new book. Signed. *I die*
So while I can’t give it the official *stamp* of May Flaum approval because I’ve yet to read it, I will tell you I *LOVED* her first two books and I expect no less from this one. In fact, I was so excited that I went out and purchased her first book in this series (Dragon Bound) *AND* this new book (Serpent’s Kiss) and had her autograph them… FOR YOU.
Yeah that’s right. I went down to Barnes & Noble where I informed the employees that I was meeting the author for lunch and therefore NEEDED to buy some books for her to sign to share with my blog readers. Yeah I was that girl. I even took the above photo outside the store as I happy danced my way back down to the lunch spot.
If you would like to win them – just leave a comment here. Winner will be drawn on 11/1. *note* if you’ve already got/read the first book and just want the latest – let me know! Then I will draw another winner for that one… otherwise – winner will get both. GOOD LUCK!!!
To read more about these books here is a link to Thea’s website: http://www.theaharrison.com and here are links to the three books out (so far) in this series.
May loves books. May believes books should be read, loved, and held. May is also sad that her Borders is closing, and a few days ago when she went in, she was distressed to see some of her favorite titles still sitting there, waiting for a good home. Poor things! Why haven’t they been chosen?!
sometimes May talks to her books, and refers to herself in third person. May is crazy. She tried to warn you…
So a few dollars later these (seriously discounted) five books came home with me, ready for new homes. This post holds FOUR give-aways in one!! on SATURDAY (20th) I will announce winners and next week mail the books to their new homes. Here’s the deal. These are FAVORITE – as in – 5 Star/A /fave reads. So take a look – and let me know which one(s) you might want to adopt…
Ye olde tale of tomboy-ish girl who decides to ‘target practice’ her efforts for landing a husband on her brother’s friend… only to fall madly in love with him. Tessa Dare’s first novel – and still one of my favorites from her.
My #1 FAVE Kinsella book – this one is about a girl on a plane who confesses ALL her deep dark secrets to stranger on plane only to find that stranger is owner of company she works for. And craziness + funny things ensue. I recommend this one – often.
Courtney Milan is a mad genius/artist with her words. AMAZING would be not strong enough a word to describe her books. This one? Can’t say enough or try to explain. It’s awesome ye olde England love story – full range of emotion and soooo fantastic.
Thea Harrison writes dark, plot twisty, utterly fantastic Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. ZOMG! Crazy good. So far just 2 books – and yes they’re the start of a series… and winner will get BOTH books. Just read #2 (Storm’s Heart) and loved it.
So what’s your pleasure? Tell me what you prefer, or if any at all would be nice and I’ll throw all names in hat + pick winners on 8/20. Good luck! I hope to send these awesome books to good homes soon…
My book is out – and it’s available as e-book as well as print!!
Hooray!! Scrapbook Workshop is here! This book was such a labor of love, and as I look through it at the very familiar projects, the introductions of each blogger I worked so hard on, the projects I spent hours making, all the notes that I double and triple checked, and the beautiful work from all of the contributors I am blown away by it. I LOVE how this book turned out!!
At amazon you can peek into some of the book… so much goodness…
So excited to see how people like it, AND what they create!! The team at F&W was wonderful to work with, and we had an amazing team of contributors as well. You will see these amazing bloggers featured in the book:
