I've been reading...

Forgive me readers, for I have sinned. It's been months since my last blog post. I don't know why either. It's not like I ever stop reading!! So to get back in the swing of things, and try to convince Hildi to do the same, I'm not going to do any in depth reviews but give several recommendations from my recent readings.

As you know, if you've read this blog for any length of time, my reading tastes are very eclectic. I love horror (or paranormal, supernatural, whatever sub genre you want to stick that in), romance, historical fiction and literary. I'm as all over the place with my reading as I am with my writing. So lets wade in...

One of my all time top 5 favorite writers is Jeanne Kalogridis. She writes some of the best historical fiction out there and I never fail to be completely enthralled by her work. The most recent book I've read by her is no exception. The Devil's Queen is a novel about Catherine De Medici. One of the most reviled women in history, yet Kalogridis brings her to life with sympathy and passion. Making you root for her character even though she uses black magic to get what she wants. I could not put this book down. I recommended it to two people who also got hooked.

I also read The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson. Erickson has written several books as diaries of notable women figures in history. All are good and this one is no exception. It was also interesting to read from Mary's point of view some of the same events from the Kalogridis book. (Mary was raised at the french court while Catherine was queen).

Let's switch to horror...I got Alexandra Sokoloff's newest book Book of Shadows with some trepidation. I'm a huge fan of her books The Harrowing and The Price but had felt let down by The Unseen, the book before this one. I was in luck, however. Because Book of Shadows delivered the chills. It was a great murder mystery with a delicious supernatural twist. I also gave Nate Kenyon a try and read The Bone Factory. It was very spooky. I enjoyed his writing very much and thought it was a taut thriller. I got another of his books, Sparrow Rock. Another delicious read. You know I love my apocalyptic fiction!

I also started Heather Graham's new trilogy with books 1 and 2, Ghost Shadow and Ghost Night. I really enjoyed them, in fact I can't wait to visit Key West this summer, but I think sometimes her writing gets a little formulaic and predictable. In both cases, I guessed the bad guy/guys before the end of the book. But it won't stop me from picking up Ghost Moon!

And I also devoured an Elizabeth Berg. Truly the woman is a genius. I never fail to be completely caught up in her books. She writes characters so easily relatable that you can't help but keep reading because you truly care about them. And The Last Time I Saw You is no exception. It didn't matter that all of the characters were almost twenty years older than my current age. They had hopes, dreams and disappointments that I could understand and echo. I think her books are best served straight through and luckily I was able to do just that and finish it in one non-stop reading session. I recommend you do the same.

Well that's it for me for now kids. But I'm hoping to have a truly awesome surprise soon with an author interview for you. And maybe a chance to win something...

Gert♥