Rose Lerner
I love books! I also write them. FYI: I use this space for recs of books I wholeheartedly love only. My recs are honest, but I have social relationships with some of the romance authors whose books I rec.
I love ALL the characters in this series! How often does that happen? (Let's be real, though, Sam is my favorite.) I can't wait to see what happens in the third book.
This continues to be one of my favorite series. I love all the characters (I think Chad was my favorite new minor character in this one), and watching Mercy once again hold her own against so many more powerful people that are trying to bring her down and seeing so many characters get to be brave and strong in their own ways and make tough choices about their lives--it's just so incredibly satisfying. I've already downloaded the next one on my Kindle.
I didn't love this one quite as much as I love the first one, but that's a very high standard to hold any book to. The relationship between Jean and Locke continues to be my favorite thing about the series, and I like that they got to have this unbreakable epic friendship while still having cracks in it and places they need to work on. I really really hope they sort everything out in the third book--and Scott Lynch, I'm warning you in advance, if you kill Jean I will never forgive you! (I don't think you will, but I thought I should get that out there in advance.)
As always, Courtney Milan writes the longing for an intimate connection with another human being, and then gives that connection to her hero and heroine, so perfectly I found myself choked up at intervals:"Margaret had always thought a man seduced a woman by making her aware of his charms: his body, his wealth, his kisses. How naïve she'd been.
Ash Turner seduced her with the promise of her own self. She longed to believe him, longed to believe that the nightmare of the past month was nothing more than a delusion, that if she simply screwed her eyes tightly shut, she would be important again. And that desire was more alluring than any promise of wealth, more irresistible than any number of heated kisses pressed against her lips."
I loved all the characters in this book, but my adoration for neurotically overprotective Max knows no bounds. For example this, after he tried to kiss her to prevent her from dangerous night swimming:"She shook her head. 'I'm an adult. You're not responsible for me. I can do whatever I want.'
'That's the problem!' His hands flew wide, gesturing around him, as if drawing attention to the whole world. 'You can do anything you want, so I have to make you want something else.'"
I can't actually express how hot I find that.
I always end up wowed by Discworld books, and this one was no exception. Football hooligans, runway modeling, no less than TWO devoted nerd/jock friendships, and humanizing a dehumanized fantasy species! (Okay, maybe "humanizing" was a poor word choice. Somewhere, Mr. Spock is glaring at me.) Awesome. I just wish he hadn't made some gentle fun of romance novels while he was at it.
A fantastic, bizarre, stylized Western with a glorious turn of phrase. Henry doesn't seem to have paid much attention to the actual history behind the gunfight at the OK Corral, for example inventing an epic friendship between Wyatt Earp and Johnny Ringo, but I didn't mind because it was so entertaining and anyway I love epic friendships between enemies. A warning, though: I expected SOME sexism and racism, given the book's age, but there were one or two spots in the book where the viciousness of the racism really shocked me, so be prepared if you decide to read this.
Loretta Chase is my favorite romance author in the world and this book reminded me of why. Olivia and Lisle were both so appealing and wonderful and perfect for each other (Olivia was that rare and beautiful thing, a strong-willed impulsive heroine with occasionally poor judgement who still gets to be taken seriously as a smart, capable human being, and Lisle was the kind of geek who shares random factoids and makes them interesting by his interest in them), and the conflict was so brilliant I was almost afraid there was really no way for them. And then they overcame it by re-evaluating their ideas of themselves and each other, which is my very favorite romance trope in the world--a love that teaches you what you really want, that makes you the best YOU you can be by forcing you to re-examine yourself and your preconceptions! And Olivia almost made me like late 1820s fashion.
I bought this in the airport and read it during my flight, and it actually made me forget that I was uncomfortable and nauseous.
Joanna Bourne is a BRILLIANT writer, no surprise there. There were some passages in this book that stunned me with their beauty, insight, or just all-around awesomeness. Maggie and Doyle are both brave and resourceful and charming, and the book made me want to go back and read the other spy books for glimpses of them. But my favorite thing was, of course, Hawker. I can't WAIT for his book. Part of me is worried it can't live up to my expectations, but...this is Joanna Bourne. She can do anything.
I loved this one just as much as the first one. I adore Danny a stupid amount, I cried a bunch, and the end made me very, very happy. I loved the whole plotline with the school and the way the different characters dealt with the wounds they received in childhood. I loved Dante's insistence that she was grown up now, that she didn't have to be afraid--and how she was anyway, but she was still able to use her grown-up tools to deal with things. I loved how people other than Danny got to be heroes and fight back, too.One small caveat: Danny kept calling Polyamour a "transvestite" when from the description and use of pronouns she was pretty clearly transgendered or transexual (a woman, anyway, not a man in women's clothes), and there were some things about her portrayal that I felt iffy about. But there were things I liked about it too. I hope she shows up more in the rest of the books!
This is one of my favorite series and this was a great addition. I love all the characters so very much, and I was so excited that Morgan finally got to have a book about him (I kept picturing him as the actor from the TV series, too, which while it was blatantly inaccurate to how the book described him, was very pleasant for me, as Conrad Coates is a very good-looking fellow)! I couldn't put it down. I can't believe I waited this long to read it--I will have to get my hands on Changes right away.
Electoral Behavior in Unreformed England: Plumpers, Splitters, and Straights
A GREAT resource for better understanding borough elections in England before the 1832 Reform Act. It assumed a fair amount of knowledge about 19th century politics and the basic functioning of unreformed Parliament and elections, which I sometimes had and sometimes really didn't and wished he would explain. I suspect it was originally a doctoral thesis intended to be read by other unreformed politics scholars. But it was a fabulous analysis of the extent to which borough elections were politically/ideologically driven versus a question of personalities, local loyalties, and influence.
I loved this book. It's YA urban fantasy about a family of con artists (Cassel, the main character, is the only one who can't work magic but he's pretty sure he's the best grifter) so really, there's no downside. I LOVE con artists. In fact, I recently bought The Big Con and this made me want to start reading it right away. Plus I loved that it was dark while still feeling (to me) totally real. I loved the messed-up family dynamic especially.
There are no words for how much I loved and enjoyed this book. Everyone in the entire world should read this series, and Sarah Rees Brennan is a genius. Oh, and also I love Alan kind of a crazy amount.
My first Sherry Thomas, and she is brilliant! I was sucked in from page one and finished the book in two days, unusual for me these days. I think my very favorite part of the book actually ended up being the adorable secondary romance, although one reveal there somewhat disappointed me. Which is good because the secondary hero's family appears to be the linking device between the books. I have Private Arrangements around somewhere and will be starting on it next!