What’s the Best Thing You’ve Read Lately?

One of the best things I've read lately is A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant--really difficult heroine, ramshackle hero, odd circumstances throwing them together--and I was enthralled with the whole book. It's a historical and really only works because of that, which removes it as far as possible from being a wallpaper historical.

The last book that really blew me away was Ali Smith's There but for the. It's not Romance but literary fiction and it's ostensibly about a guy who comes to a dinner party, then locks himself up in the hosts' guest room and refuses to come out again for several months. He is shown from the perspective of four people whose lives connect in various ways with his and with each others', but it is full of wonderful digressions on all kinds of things. There is not much happening plot-wise, but the book is in turn funny and sad, quirky and wistful, it's intricately structured and beautifully written and was just such an immense joy to read that I'm still ready to gush about it months after finishing it. This is Literature with a capital L but it's also enjoyable and heartwarming, and also quite odd, which I guess makes it entirely suitable for this particular day.

Oh, I relly love this Tom Hardy picture from Warrior, he was brilliant in it.
I was blown away with Broken by Megan Hart. It's one of the most emotional stories I ever read. Heartbreaking beautiful...

I just finished "Dead to the Max" by Jasmine Haynes and absolutely loved it. I got it free a few weeks ago on my Kindle and didn't read it right away as I didn't have high expectations for a free book from an author I was unfamiliar with .. Boy was I wrong! I dived right in to book 2 in the series and can't wait to read all 5.

Its about a woman who is psychic, but won't admit it. Is haunted by her murdered husband, whom she can still sleep with .. and has an unfortunate tendancy to become possessed by murder victims until she solves their murders. Oh, and she is falling for a detective. A live one.

Anyway, I loved it mostly because my expectations were so low and the story exceeded them in every way.

@MFrampton, can I give you a high five regarding A Lady Awakened? Everything you said, seriously. Take the history out of that story and it would fall to pieces, which is something I actually look for in a historical romance. Very human characters who made very human choices, and a happily ever after I can easily believe. Loved this.

The "Mi Carino/Mi Carina" duo by Sienna Mynx. Couldn't put it down. I recommended to a few friends and now I am recommending to folks on here. Total MUST READS! I've picked up several books by her for my kindle since she's got so many with high ratings. That's a very positive sign that I am in for some good reading. =)

Also the old school Beverly Barton Silhouette books that are her 'The Protectors' series. I've gotten my hands on several of those recently and the books are all very enjoyable.

I'm currently reading Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. I'm loving it so far. She's got a present day and an historical story she flips back and forth between, and I actually care about both. That's rare, so she's definitely in my good graces!

@AnnaBowling: Thanks for the high five! I liked it so much, in fact, that I preordered her next one. I got the first from the library, but wanted to thank her, directly and financially, with my preorder dollars.

These books all sound great--I've been so tempted by Broken, specifically, so many ppl have raved about it.

I read "Rainshadow Road" by Lisa Kleypas last night and I was totally overwhelmed by how great it was! Can't wait for August and "Dream Lake".

The last 5 star book I read was Eternal Captive by Laura Wright. IMO the whole Mark of the Vampire series has been worthy of 5 stars. Laura has created a great paranormal world and I love the Roman brothers. If you're looking for some smoking hot PNR and love vampires, give the series a try. You won't be disappointed.

Something else worthy of 5 stars? The picture that has nothing to do with the topic of this post. Hello salty goodness! Me likey!!!

Reread Sunshine by Robin Mckinley last week hadnt read it in a long time. Id forgotten how completely you get sucked into the heroine's story even though most of the book is just her going about her life in a slightly post-apoctalyptic world.

Territory by Emma Bull. Wyatt Earp as an evil wizard - need I say more? Brilliant worldbuilding, engaging characters and a complex plot all framing the great American legend of the OK Corral. When I finished it, I set it down, looked at my DH and said "That was so good I wish I was still reading it and never had to stop."

"The Wild Ways" by Tanya Huff was the last book I started re-reading right after I finished it. This author has such a unique pov and her fantasy stories always satisfy.

I just finished reading Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral. This YA romance was a great, easy, and innovative read. It was also very intriguing--it draws you in from page 1. The story is told using text messages, photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, CD liner notes, and paintings instead of in prose or verse. Francisco is an Argentinian immigrant who falls in love with his next door neighbor, piano prodigy Gloria. Their young love is put to the test when Gloria goes on tour over seas and slowly slips into madness. Except for the hardcore Sci/fantasy fans, I can't imagine a teen who couldn't be book talked into reading Chopsticks.

I am currently read the complete works of H P Lovecraft (which is a MASSIVE tome). I love the atmosphere in most of his stories, and I haven't even gotten to his Cthuluh ones yet.

Martha Wells' The Element of Fire. I read about her books on the Tor website and tried this one first. Although it is in the SciFi/Fantasy lists, it is a really great romance! The writing is supurb, the plot is a real page turner, and the action is incredible!

First off, let me commend you on that fine, fine picture of Tom Hardy. RAWR

Adrian Bell's The Reapers Are The Angels. The only zombie/apocolypse book I have read that I actually like. It's told from the POV of a sixteen year old girl who takes a young mute under her wing and tries to get him home. Very southern gothic with flavors of spirtuality.

I absolutely adore Paula Quinn's books... she has 2 series, I'm partial to the Scottish one starting with Laird of the Mist... Her hero's are HERO's but they are human too. Some are broken and need a little a little repair... and she weaves actual history into her stories... I stop whatever I am currently reading to read her books. I was also surprised by a free book, Scamps Lady. It had a LOT of history in it, and took place during the revolutionary war set in America... It had romance, intrigue, a little spying... very good... I just can't find any other books by that author :(

@BrooklynShoeBabe -- Oh, man, I've been wanting Chopsticks! It's a gorgeous book and idea so I was going to get it for that...glad to know you enjoyed the story too!

Home Front by Kristin Hannah This is about a faltering marriage where the wife ends up being deployed. It deals with the changes the family undergoes during the deployment and when she comes home injured. Have a box of tissues close by.

Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell. Slightly older book, but a fabulous combination of road romance and cabin romance, with a massively damaged hero and a heroine fighting for both herself and him. Really wonderful read.

I am loving the Pennyroyal Green series by Julie Anne Long; they deserve a much wider readership! Just finished The Perils of Pleasure #1, and am now re-reading the rest. Exceptionally well written. Great characters. Wonderful romance. On my Nook, I have Anne Stuart's Out of Print Gems. The best so far is One More Valentine, from 1993. What a great story!

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist was an amazing book.
The Informationist by Taylor Stevens turned out to be GREAT.
And just reread Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coonts which was just as marvelous the second time around.
Vastly different genres but wow, all of them were all more than worth the time I invested in them.

@Icecharm Huzzah for Lovecraft, second only to Tolkien in my book. No one tortures intellectuals like ol' Howard Phillip. You may have already read some of the Cuthulu stories and not realize it, the whole body of work is centered around the Mythos. In fact cuthulu only really appears in, I think, two stories, At the Mountains of Madness and The Call of Cuthulu.

I did just finish Robin: Lady of Legend which is a kindle title. It wasn't bad. But the take on Robin as a woman was a lot of fun.

The best book I've read this year: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. It has characters that you can't help but like and an engaging plot. Absolutely LOVED it!

Anything by Dana Marie Bell is high on my list as well. I can't help but chuckle while reading her stories, she's a truly entertaining writer!

I Only Have Eyes For You by Bella Andre. OMG! Wonderful contemporary romance with a h/h that have been in love with each other since they were kids but the hero didn't think he was good enough to be with the heroine. I absolutely loved it!