WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?

On Facebook, several people have been naming ten favorite books that meant something in your life. Narrowing my preference down to only ten would be impossible. And what each meant depended on where I was at that stage of life. Although I’ve been an avid reader as long as I can remember, I’ll skip the school years and move on to after I became an adult. I’ll also skip the classics and go for popular fiction.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee. Okay, so it’s a classic now. Who didn’t love that one? I kept waiting for another book from Harper Lee (as did a lot of others). I thought Scout’s story was wonderful. I saw the film starring Gregory Peck and in which Robert Duvall had his first role. This is one of the few times I enjoyed a movie as much as the book.

THE HELP BY Katherine Stockett. Didn’t we love the way the heroine obtained justice for her friends? I didn’t like the movie because so much had to be changed. This is why books are better than movies—you get the main characters’ internal thoughts and motivation in a book. Usually impossible for a movie.

THE GUENSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. How sad that Ms Schaffer died before she learned how successful her wonderful book had become. Thank goodness her niece Ms Barrows finished editing the manuscript. I have to admit my knowledge of the Isle of Guernsey was nil, but this story uplifted my spirit even though it dealt with Nazi occupation. 

MR. CHURCHILL’S SECRETARY by Susan Elia Macneal. This is another World War II setting, but Maggie Hope brings just that. I love this series and will save them to reread.  FALLON by Louis L’Amour. Any of his, really. What a great writer. He captured history and people and painted the West in words. I’ve read each of his books and will never tire of rereading them.

FOR THE ROSES by Julie Garwood. This was a wonderful saga about lost boys and the baby girl they rescued as they moved from New York to the West. Family and redemption are themes I love.

PRINCE CHARMING by Julie Garwood. Probably my all-time favorite book, I love the subtle humor the author introduces into the story and the developing love and adventure. I loved so many things about this book: the scene where we learn who stole Lucas’ knife, where we see Taylor shooting rabbits, where Taylor covers Lucas’ friend with a blanket, and so many more.

THE PROMISE OF JENNY JONES by Maggie Osborne. Jenny had only one thing and that’s her word. She keeps her promise through unbelievably difficult conditions and triumphs. My first time to read a book with a six-foot, redheaded, muleskinner heroine. In a speech once, I heard Ms Osborne say this was the traditional governess story turned on its ear. ☺

SLIGHTLY SHADY by Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz). This is the first of the Lavinia Lake and Tobias March trilogy and I loved each one. This first was probably my favorite. However, this woman cannot write a bad book under any name. I think I have each of her books by each of her names. The historical romances are my favorites.

MONTANA SKY by Nora Roberts. This is one of my favorites by Ms Roberts (although THE WITNESS may tie). I liked the three half-sisters learning to work together on a ranch and learning to be family. Family is a wonderful theme.  

TO KISS A TEXAN by Jodi Thomas. Wes McClain is my favorite member of his family and his rescue of the captive woman Allie,who salves his wounded heart, is amazing. Theirs is a memorable romance that has stayed with me for years.

 

FALLON by Louis L'Amour, along with each of his other historical works. What a creative genius this man was. He once told a group of writers that he could write while sitting in a folding chair in the center of Hollywood and Vine with a typewriter balanced on his knees. I know he was the master of setting and characterization. I chose FALLON as my favorite of his books because  it's the story of a man who is much better than he believes, a story of redemption. But L'Amour wrote only great books. Hero and I save them and reread them from time to time. I practically know FALLON by heart, yet it still calls to me. 

I have deliberately not mentioned any of the books of personal friends. To do so would be insane. I’d be certain to overlook someone and then be in the dog house forever. And there simply is not enough space or time to list all my favorites. There are huge numbers of wonderful writers whose books I’ve enjoyed and saved. And I continue discovering new writers whose works I love. Someday maybe I’ll quit writing and just read.

Naw, this is too great a job. Why would I ever give up a job where I can work at home in my jammies?

Thanks for stopping by!

  

SUMMER READING - WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST?

Anytime is reading time for me, but many people have more free time in summer. Schools are out, vacations roll around, and people relax by the sea or a pool. Even though I’m stuck in my pink writing cave, I love to read.

Recently, I read several of the new Prairie Rose Publishing anthologies. I know most of the authors who contribute to these collections, and each is an excellent author. You can’t go wrong with any of the works. LASSOING A BRIDE and LASSOING A GROOM are just released.

I love Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz, and recently finished her latest, OTHERWISE ENGAGED. As usual, her story captured my interest from the first page. I love her books.

Geri Foster has released WRONG GUY, the second of her Accidental Pleasures series. She’s also in the boxed set, SPICE BOX. In addition, don’t forget OUT OF THE PAST, the novella about Zoe in her Falcon series. I’m eagerly awaiting OUT OF THE DEPTHS, the next Falcon book for non-stop action and romance.

Another author I love is Loretta Chase. Her descriptions and characterization are amazing. I’ve preordered her VIXEN IN VELVET, the third in her trilogy of dressmaker sisters. The book will be released later in June.

Sylvia McDaniel has released DESPERATE, a delightful prequel novella to her new Lipstick and Lead series about the Mackenzie sisters who turn bounty hunter to save their home after their father’s death. I’m eagerly awaiting the first sister’s story, which will be about Meg.

For those who enjoy stories involving Native Armericans, Mary Adair has new covers for her Passion series and has added RAVEN’S PASSION. The other two in the series are PASSION’S VISION and PASSION’S PRICE. Mary’s husband is descended from James Adair, author of the definitive book on Cherokee in the 18^th century. She used James Adair’s book in her research.

Kathy Shaw’s latest release is BLONDIE AND THE HITMAN, a Darla Bodecker mystery. This is a fun read with a sassy heroine and a dash of romance. Kathy’s wicked sense of humor always makes me smile.

On my TBR list are MY KIND OF CRAZY by Katie O’Sullivan; AGAINST THE WILD by Kat Martin; SHAME ON YOU by Tara Sivec; ON THE HOOK by Cindy Davis; MAIL ORDER MISFIT by Kirsten Osbourne; and A TEXAS CATTLE DRIVE by Andy Adams. Those should keep me busy reading for a while, right? But new releases by Carra Copelin,  Paty Jager, Kathy Ivans, Jacquie Rogers (she's included in the Prairie Rose antholgies), and others will keep me adding to the list.

To your TBR stack, I hope you’ll add GABE KINCAID and THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP, if you haven’t already done so.

Here are the buy links:

GABE KINCAID, book four of the Kincaid series

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1irY2CJ

Nook http://bit.ly/S7VDn4

Kobo http://bit.ly/1m6htQC

THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP, book three in the Kincaid series

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ku7nLt

Nook http://bit.ly/1wzXHUA

Kobo http://bit.ly/1tukWuR

At the end of June, I’ll be releasing FINDING MY TEXAS HOME, book two in the Texas Home series, linked to HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME. Please watch for the release. To be certain you are notified of each of my releases, contests, giveaways, and other news, please sign up for my newsletter at the top of the right sidebar.

What are you reading?

Thanks for stopping by!

WHAT ARE YOU READING? WHAT I'M READING...

One of my persistent vices/pleasures is reading. I am prone to curl up with a book and not notice laundry or dirty dishes piling up. Each member of my family is a voracious reader and each of us always has a stack of books waiting to be read--except Hero, who reads so fast that he can’t keep reading material. Father’s Day is coming up, and the Darling Daughters and I will replenish Hero’s book supply. We are all such habitual readers that we read ads, cereal labels, etc. if we don’t have a book handy.
 

And don’t you just love a bargain? I just downloaded a lot of 99 cent books for my Kindle. I mentioned previously that ALL of Alice Duncan’s cozy mysteries and romance novels are at that bargain price for the month of June. Terry Odell’s WHEN DANGER CALLS (A Blackthorne, Inc. novel) is on sale now. For slightly more at $2.99, I bought DEAD AS A SCONE, book one of the Royal Tunbridge Wells mysteries set in Tunbridge Wells, England near where a friend lives. The friend took us to Tunbridge Wells when we stayed with her, so I look forward to reading this series.

Coughing up full price for a hardback is onerous for me, but I forked over the cash for Amanda Quick’s latest, QUICKSILVER, and can hardly wait to dig in. Her books are keepers for me. Even though I cringe at the price, I buy hardback. I love her quirky, eccentric heroines.


But here’s what I’ve been reading:

I’VE HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE, by Mary Higgins Clark, is a well-paced mystery set in New England. I enjoy Ms Clark’s books because they’re well written and she doesn’t sprinkle them with curse words. This one had only one slightly off-color word spoken by the villain. I’VE HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE is written in first person for the main character, and third person for other points of view. Changing back and forth didn’t bother me at all and was done seamlessly by a master storyteller. In the book, Kay Lansing meets and falls instantly in love with Peter Carrington. Events lead Peter to be accused and jailed in three murders and Kay must prove he is innocent. I did suspect the killer early on, but Ms Clark threw up enough red herrings to keep me in doubt.



A much older book (2003) I enjoyed is MAGGIE BY THE BOOK, the sequel to MAGGIE NEEDS AN ALIBI, by Kasey Michaels. These books are fun, but you need to read the first one to get the most from the second. In the first, mystery writer Maggie’s two fictional Regency sleuths appear in her apartment in the flesh. Ms Michaels adds a lot of humor to these books, especially the second, when she parodies Romance Writers of America’s national convention and the Romantic Times conference with her combination WAR conference and Rose Knows Romance cover model competition and costume ball.



A LESSON IN SECRETS, Jacqueline Winspear's latest, is set in the early 1930’s England. I can’t get enough English mysteries, and also adore the 1920-1930 era. Maisie Dobbs is the sleuth who gets a lesson in national secrets. If you haven’t read this series, start with the first and go forward. They are stand alone, but are so much more interesting if you follow Maisie through her career development.

THE SWEETHEARTS’ KNITTING CLUB, by Lori Wilde, is another book several years old (2008). I loved this book so much I reread it to study Lori’s writing. It is a perfect example of hero, villain, and heroine. The pacing is good, and I loved the story. Lori is a master storyteller, and also a very nice person.

THE COLD LIGHT OF MORNING and A BRUSH WITH DEATH, by Elizabeth J. Duncan, are contemporary cozies set in England. I enjoyed both the culture and the plots. I have to admit I knew who the killer was in the first book early on, but couldn’t figure out how he managed the murder. I thought I had it figured out. Hero came to the same conclusion as I had and we were wrong. I love when a writer is able to honestly misdirect and surprise me.



Now, please tell me what you’ve been reading.