Tag Archives: great books

But sometimes, it’s better…

Reading, , , , ,

This week I finally got around to reading a sequel that’s been on my reading radar for yonks. Way back in the summer I read Ember Burning and loved it. I would love to psychoanalyse myself for this, because I’m not sure what drives me to go straight on and read more by the author IMMEDIATELY, or just to nod and say to myself, “Yep, I’ll look out for more from her/him.” I read Ember Burning, enjoyed it, put it down and that was the end of that, I’m sorry to say.

I wish I knew what triggered me to think, “I love this author and I know I’m in safe hands, where’s more?” versus, “I really enjoyed that, but, hmm, can their next one be as good? I don’t want to be disappointed…” because there’s got to be something.

Anyway, spool on several months and Oshun Rising jumped into my awareness and I actually loaded it onto my kindle and started reading.

Oh my giddy aunt, it’s AMAZING. Jennifer Alsever has outdone herself. Ember Burning was good, but Oshun Rising entirely blew my socks off. I think I hardly breathed through the second half of the story.

That’s a nudge to my cautious self. Sometimes a second book might disappoint. But other times it will catapult the author into, “Give me more. NOW,” territory.

And now I have to wait for the third in the series, which is a whole other kind of torture I’ll probably address in another post.

Share, readers, what book did you delay reading (for any reason) that you later wished you’d got on with?

November means nano

My books, Reading, Writing, , , , , ,

Another tricky week, this week, readers. The Shattered Worlds Read Along finishes today with Miranda Hardy’s Death Knocks, except that I’d already read that, having got myself a bit out of order (it’s fabulous, btw). So there wasn’t a book from the collection that I felt as though I needed to read.

So, I haven’t read a Shattered Worlds book this week. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped reading. I hope that will only happen when I’m no longer breathing! But this has been a week where I’ve focused entirely on myself.

As well as busily writing my nano words (I’ve hit 42k – OMG, crack out the choccie brazils, I have never written this consistently fast before in my life!) I was also on deadline to get my final clockwork war book to my editor ready for her to start work on Monday. So that’s what was on my Kindle, having a final read through to make sure that any plot holes big enough for me to see were filled in before it was sent off for a professional assessment. There will, sadly, be other plot holes that hid while I was reading, but that’s why I use an editor.

Being at 42,000 words when I’m aiming for a 50,000 word first draft means I’m actually on the home straight. I want to finish by next weekend, so I can actually slow down a lot and still hit my target. I hope that’s going to give me time to read, because I really want to lose myself in someone else’s worlds.

First off is the new release by one of my favourite writers – Kelly St Clare. Blood Oath (co-written with Raye Wagner) came out this week and I’ve only made it into chapter two so far (it’s great; Kelly’s books always are). With a bit less time writing and more reading going on in my life, I hope that will also be finished by next weekend.

Check back next week to see if I’ve met either or both of my new deadlines!

My free reading challenge: I bought a book – but I can’t read it yet

Reading, , , , , ,

This week I have something a little different to report because I have pre-ordered a book which costs actual, real money. It comes out before Christmas (so, while my free reading challenge is on-going), but it also comes under my exception of buying a book by a friend to support their launch.

Unbearable suspense

It also comes under “I couldn’t bear to wait for this one”. It’s out on 31st October and, frankly, even that’s an unbearable level of suspense. Especially since I’ve now read the start. I should know better (I deliberately didn’t pick up a preview of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo when I was at YALC, because what was it going to do other than drive me mad over a book I already know I want to read?), but I couldn’t resist.

Snark-filled prose

As is always the case with Kate Johnson, it’s a stunner. My favourite snort-aloud line was:

“Hell of a day to have fallen out the window with no clothes on.”

Now I’ve just got to wait to read the rest of it, which is tedious in the extreme, and I feel definitely sufficient punishment for anyone who feels I’ve broken the terms of my free reading commitment.

Cover of Kate Johnson's Max Seventeen
Click to pre-order

Take your pick

If you want to pre-order Max Seventeen just click on the cover. If you want the preview (you masochist, you), you can get hold of one by signing up to Kate’s newsletter. If you can’t wait to read something by her, I’d suggest starting with The Untied Kingdom, which is my favourite.

Disclaimer: they aren’t YA books, so if your eyes are likely to bleed at bad language, sex and violence you may need to walk on by – but do come back when you feel strong enough for some of the best fiction you’re going to find anywhere.