I think of this website as a way to communicate information about my books and some information about me. The second part is a problem. I don’t like talking about me.
As a fan, I know what it’s like to want to know about an author. As an author, I know I should share because that’s what fans want. As a person, I don’t like social media and I primarily communicate with a small circle of friends. Those different ideas don’t mingle well.
My basic theory is simple. If you want to know something you should ask.
Really. Ask me questions.
I can answer questions. That’s easy 🙂
Anyway, for all the talking I do about my books, I haven’t told you guys much about what I like to read. When I had the day job and was writing on the side, I didn’t have enough time to do much reading. Now that I’ve transitioned to writing full time I have more time to read, which is awesome because I love reading!
If you want to know why I’m not reviewing these on Goodreads, there’s a simple answer. As an author, I don’t really like assigning stars to work’s I’ve read. All of these books had great points. Some of them worked better for me than other, and that’s just how reading works. Some very popular books have done nothing for me but I have friends who love them. In addition, I picked up some of these books for research rather than pleasure. That doesn’t make them bad books, but there may have been less excitement from the start. (Please note this post contains affiliate links and Amazon will pay me a small commission if you purchase anything after clicking these links. Your cost is not increased by using these links.)
Recent Reads: (in no real order)
A Creature of Moonlight
by Rebecca Hahn. This was a great young adult novel that doesn’t seem to be part of a series. It was well written, engaging, and I felt like is was truly appropriate for a wide range of audiences, starting with younger teens. There are hints of romance, but no lasting romantic interest. I liked this book enough that I checked for a sequel and when I couldn’t find one I looked for her other works.
The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater. This is a standalone young adult novel. It’s great for the horse loving teen (or adult). While it has an underlying romance, it’s subtle. This was an interesting take on water-horse mythology, and kept me turning pages.
The Selection (The Selection Book 1)
and The Elite (The Selection Book 2)
by Kiera Cass. This is a three book series, with a couple of spinoffs (additional novels and novellas). One review I read described The Selection as the lead up to The Hunger Games (dresses, interviews, and the like) without the depth of The Hunger Games. I’d say is the dystopian royalty equivalent of The Bachelor. If that’s what you’re looking for, go for it. As for The Elite, it solidly continues the story, and brings in more social unrest. The male main character made some choices that I found disagreeable. At the same time the female lead wasn’t making great choices. Those are some pet peeves of mine, and why I didn’t read the third book. That said, these books did pull me along, and there were significant signs that the third book would include more of the dystopian/social unrest elements.
Graceling
by Kristin Cashore. This is the first in a series of three, though I haven’t read the others so I’m not sure how dependent they are upon one another. While it’s considered a young adult book, I think it’s the least juvenile of the lot (followed by The Scorpio Races and A Creature of Moonlight). It does have a couple of scenes featuring sex, but they’re short and not overly descriptive. Graceling is an epic fantasy about fighting evils, being true to yourself, and overcoming obstacles. I couldn’t put it down. My only criticism is that, for me, the ending wasn’t very satisfying.
Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer. This is the first in a multi book series (four or more depending on how you count). Pretty much everything about the book was awesome. Yes, it’s a young adult novel with dystopian qualities. However, the main character, Cinder, is a cyborg who is owned by her step-mother because cyborgs are property. She’s a mechanic and is wonderfully capable throughout the book. It’s a lovely twist on Cinderella that was fun to read and had some unexpected twists. I highly recommend it and am counting the minutes until I get my hands on the next book. Also, there wasn’t any sex at all.
