The Reading List: March 19, 2015

Yeah, it has been a while since I posted. I am finally recovering (somewhat) from a nasty case of the Shingles. FYI: Shingles is PAINFUL! PSA: GET THE VACCINE!  I couldn’t have it because of my autoimmune disease. Like all vaccines, it doesn’t work for everyone, but if you can minimize your chances of getting this, do it. Trust me on this one, okay?

The good news is that I actually have managed to get a little reading done. I finished a few of the books that were on my list from last time and discovered some really good new ones.

Teresa Frohock’s The Broken Road was delightful. A very interesting world in this one where singing and magic combine.Teresa somehow manages to use lovely, almost lyrical prose and still write creepy, scary stories. Best of all, she has hinted that there will be probably be more books to come in this series! 🙂

Who is Dell Zero? by Carol Ervin was absolutely AMAZING! I love dystopian literature and this one did not disappoint. If you like Bradbury, Orwell and Huxley, I think you will find this book very satisfying. The style is somewhat understated which adds to the ambiance of the story. The book is written with an incredibly unique voice. The voice in this one has stayed with me and I am hoping to see more books from her in this vein. Please?

I gobbled down Linda Welch’s wonderful new urban fantasy series:  Downside Rain and the sequel, Baelfleur.  I’ve written before about Linda Welch’s books here and here. I love her Whisperings paranormal mystery series and am ready for a re-read of that series, too, especially as she is currently working on a new installment. YAY!

I enjoyed the first two books in the Gideon and Sirius procedural mystery series by Alan Russel, Burning Man and Guardians of the Night.  Part of the attraction is definitely the police dog, Sirius. I have to warn you, though, this leans to grim and dark–it is not a fluffy dog story. Book three is supposed to be in the works.

I did  keep to my goal of re-reading the first two books in the Senyaza series by Chrysoula Tzavelas: Matchbox Girls and Infinity Key. I also read the latest, Wolf Interval, which turned out to be my absolute favorite in the series.  There is amazing world building here – this is definitely a thinking person’s urban fantasy!  Chrysoula currently has a kickstarter going for a new, feminist fantasy series called Citadel in the Sky. The tagline: Kicking butt in nice dresses: a new epic tradition. Don’t you love it?

I have mostly been clearing books from my TBR list off the Kindle, but have somehow also gotten myself addicted to Suzan Harden’s Bloodlines series. Nothing like paranormal romance with humor (and witches, vampires, werewolves and zombies). Honestly, my doctors are totally getting used to hearing me laugh out loud in the waiting room. :-)April will soon be here with more books! I have already pre-ordered the first book in Liana Brooks new SF Jane Doe series, The Day Before,  due out April 28th. The second book, Convergence Point, is due out on November 24, 2015.

And finally, I received an ARC for a new spy thriller trilogy coming out in April that is just fantastic! More on that one next time….