Chilling Corner in July

I think routine is one of the most important habits we can cultivate. It’s a familiar pattern we can follow in times of stress. I could manage a few days in the desert if I had a few books, well, maybe that is a bit ambitious. I do love it though and by sharing I reaffirm how exciting it is to be a reader.

Reading for me is multi-faceted. I read to gain information, to improve my own writing through exposure to other writers, for the beauty of language but most of all because books represent a routine, a time when I can lose myself, experience and yet remain safe.

Like a lot of people my life hasn’t always flowed easily. In those moments reading kept me afloat even when the river rapids got a little rocky. Someone asked me why I chose to present random books in such a random fashion. They are not always the latest book out, and not always a five-star rating. Don’t get me wrong, I do revert to favourites at times, to the classics, and to poetry but mostly it is the books with heart, or that are quirky or even sometimes so strange they fascinate that keep my cup half full when it could so easily become half empty.

My random books, warm and funny, poignant and with bits of real life are cheaper than a massage, well mostly, cost nothing in transport and don’t talk back or question me when I put them down.  I hope they do the same for you.

Contemporary Romances

Nancy Warren’s Kiss a Girl in the Rain (Take a Chance, Book 1) has beautiful characters who exude warmth, passion and a sense of reality, of normality despite the romance tag and expected happy ever after that goes with it.

The Ones Who Got Away  by Roni Loren, was a freebie but was so much more than I expected. The characters were easy to connect with and we find ourselves feeling for them and their memories. Based around a school shooting I wasn’t too sure at first, but surprisingly it helped to understand the long-lasting effects of one action on a lifetime.  It does have some very mixed reviews, but the suspension of disbelief is always so subjective.

War drama

The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpa is a war drama set in France during German occupation and centres around three women, their lives and the three different outcomes from the moments they share. It was so readable. I know that sounds a lame recommendation yet it’s true despite there being a few clichés here and there. There was a feeling in this, a strong emotional pull that worked well enough to draw us back in time and that is no mean feat.

Regency

Third Son’s a Charm (The Survivors Book 1) is delightful read by Shana Galen. I don’t read this genre often and I found it a lovely change. As our hero finally admits, adorable is the word for Lorrie, but his quiet charm also has appeal. It was also free which meant I really came out ahead. Great pace, and good story.

Paranormal

Be prepared for The Last Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves Book 1) by Maria Vale to be anything but the usual wolf story. I still can’t make up my mind if I liked it, but I couldn’t stop reading. These wolves/shapeshifters have a strict code that is adhered to, and it’s not a nice one. They are brutal but at the same time the loyalty to pack once you get past the blood and guts is something to be respected, and perhaps something to fear. It is fascinating read. I have to be honest I didn’t like the second book as much, but reading is subjective and once again it did have a certain fascination.

April White

Death’s Door is the latest offering from April White (Chilling Corner in January)  April’s The Immortal Descendants series is one of my favourite Young Adult reads. This one is a novella so be prepared for short. It cleverly interweaves information about Edgar Allen Poe throughout the plot and is enthralling, particularly where clocks are concerned. This spin off is just as fresh as the original series, has a lovely twist and manages the language of bygone eras, beautifully. It may be a YA novel but I would recommend it to any age group but beware whilst reading you don’t find yourself going beyond the midnight hour.

Elizabeth Hunter

In Chilling Corner in January, I also spoke about author Elizabeth Hunter. I mentioned waiting for the latest in the Ben and Tenzin saga. Dawn Caravan is out and is every bit as good as I thought it would be because M/s Hunter manages the idea of a series and spin off with such precision that each book is fresh and loses nothing in continuity. When she began a new series again, not a spin-off but something quite different I did wonder for about a second then downloaded and once again thoroughly enjoyed.

She is a wonderful juggler of genres, and of the paranormal by imbuing her books with an essential feeling of humanity no matter the supernatural creature. So whilst I was waiting for Ben and Tenzin to reappear I began reading her new series  Suddenly Psychic: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Glimmer Lake Book 1) and Semi-Psychic Life: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Glimmer Lake Book 2) and of course, am also loving this series. I did warn you she can be addictive. This is for the older ladies but done with imaginative style, and with some lovely emotions throughout the pages and I can’t wait to purchase Book 3.

Samantha Marshall

Lucky last is Samantha Marshall’s Sorcery and Sandstorms (The Weaver’s War Book 2). I mentioned her in Chilling Corner in June as a new favourite. I had not intended to read her new book so soon as I have a stack of books waiting to be read but I couldn’t resist and now I hate her because I have a longer wait for Book 3. This series has an element of fun, of seriousness, a bevy of imagination in world-building and a style of writing that just flows from page to page. Thoroughly enjoyed when I needed to step away from the world for a short time with the worst case of sinus.

Reading really does rock.

Alla prossima,

Barb

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