Recommended Reading - February 2014

It was an awesome month for reading, as you'll see from the Standouts below. And I've decided, since I'm coming across so many great books, to scrap the monthly Recommended Reading posts and just write mini book reviews here whenever I read something I love. I will no longer have to wait to rave about a book! And you will no longer have to wait to add a great read to your TBR list. (Don't grumble about how big that TBR pile is already. You know you love adding to it!)

*****

Books Read in February: 9

Total Books Read in 2014:  15

Standouts:

Fear Nothing by Lisa Gardner - Lisa Gardner is one of my go-to authors for suspense/thrillers. I know that when she has a new book out, I'd better set aside some time because I will be hooked - forget cleaning, forget cooking, my husband and the tortoises are on their own. This particular novel has a fascinating character who has a genetic condition that causes her to feel no pain, and Gardner is excellent at feeding the reader information without lecturing. And although the character of Boston Detective D. D. Warren is a recurring character, the novels work as stand-alones. Next time you're in the mood for suspense, go find one of Gardner's novels. You'll be glad you did. 

*****

You've Got a Book In You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams by Elizabeth Sims - Yes, I know. Most of us need another book on the writing craft like we need another empty notebook, another mug of coffee, another rejection. But this book's subtitle - "a stress-free guide" - is absolutely true. This is a fresh reminder of how much fun writing can be, if we'll only let it. (I actually met Ms. Sims once or twice, and her enthusiasm for writing is absolutely evident.)

***** 

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - What really drew me into this novel was the voice - atmospheric without being heavy-handed, dark and foreboding yet subtle. It is a mystery and a love story, and a very good reminder of how secrets can dig deep and take root in the fertile grounds of family dynamics.

* I received an ARC though a Random House giveaway. This novel will be available March 2014. *

*****

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2) by Laini Taylor - If you haven't yet read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #1, then do so. Now. Go wander the streets of Prague with Karou and Zuzana and Mik. Meet Brimstone and Issa and Thiago, Madrigal and Akiva and Razgut (who is one of the creepiest characters I've ever met.) Then read Days... where the story continues, where love and war and friendship and sacrifice are all layered and complicated and complex and the usual definitions of monsters and angels are frayed and unravelling right before your eyes. Then…wait with me until April for Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #3). Arrrrrgh!

*****

What have you read and loved recently? Have you read any of the Standouts? Do you plan to? I hope so!