Series and Authors I Treasure

As readers we all most likely get hooked into series we love. I have quite a number of them and another day I’ll post some more. Most of them other readers have hooked me into. I’ve just read a post and I’ve ordered #1 in a cozy mystery series from the library. It’s not my wheelhouse of reading but… I just might get hooked.

Outlander Series.

 Back in 1994 it all began for me. I was teaching and I can’t remember how I chose this book, but I did. On the staff another teacher was hooked too and we often talked about that Scottish Highlander Jamie. It’s time travel at its very best.

I have read everyone in the series since. Some of them are very long but I’ve loved them, sometimes skipping a few gory parts. There are eight books so far and number nine is in the wings “Go Tell the Bees I am Gone.” This series is outstanding in audiobook form and I have reread some of the books this way as well.

I once went to the city and listened to Diana Gabaldon speak after one of her books came out and she was visiting our country. She was very interesting as a speaker.

The Troubleshooters

The Troubleshooters is fast paced romantic suspense. The characters carry on from book to book, with one character mostly to the forefront.  There are about seventeen main books in this series – I have them all. I want to do a reread at some point.  Navy seals – what’s not to like!

I learned about this series from readers on the Susan Elizabeth Phillips readers’ board before it disbanded and went to Facebook. There were always great recommendations there and I really expanded out into USA authors through  that.

Suzanne Brockmann has moved on to film making I think and no more books in recent years.

Virgin River

Once I was stymied what to read. Nothing satisfied me. I’d read a little online about Virgin River and I thought well I’ll take a chance. This was pre-Kindle days. So I bought a second hand copy I think on the Thriftbooks website. The rest is history. I was hooked and ever after that I bought every one that came out. Mostly via Amazon I think

It’s set in a small town in North West America, and each book explores the lives of new characters while maintaining some of the previous ones. It’s romance with sometimes a little suspense thrown in. Another series I’d happily reread. And I am enjoying the Netflix series of it.

I loved it and since then pretty much have read everything Robyn Carr since.

Shenandoah Album Series

There are five books in this series and I loved them all. They are what I guess are Women’s Fiction. They explore various issues and have very memorable characters. This series started me on my love of quilting.

 

I have reread most of them via audiobook which is really excellent via this format as well.

I had discovered Emilie Richards as an author myself by picking up one of her books at a book fair. Not one of this series but it started me on the road of looking out for her books. Now I wouldn’t miss anything she writes.

Pys/Changeling series

The Pay/Changeling series I was slow to take up. I read others comments on the SEP board and was semi tempted. I thought it would be too hot for me. I saw a copy of one of the books in a staff members bag and I asked her about the series. She lent me some of the first ones.

I was hooked. I loved these shape shifters and the mysteries and evil they had to contend with. Nalini Singh has built this world so well. I didn’t think I’d like shape shifter books but this series is just so much fun, plus heart warming and heart reaching.

I am still reading all the new ones now as they come out. I want to do a reread!

 

 

So what would be one of your favourite series?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Well just a little reading accomplished. I have other distractions – its been a busy week, and satisfying. I have also got into some viewing – I am loving The Crown. I like how they are portraying Charles but I think they have the Queen too severe. She has more of a sense of humour. I have also started watching Virgin River which is based on Robyn Carr’s book series. Loving it and of course we have a kiwi actor playing the lead role of Jack which is a plus. I think he suits the role.

I don’t have a smart TV. I kind of am reluctant as I dislike replacing usable equipment with the latest. However I did need to purchase a new iPad earlier this year and I find it great for watching Netflix on, so I don’t have to go to the bother of linking up my computer via a cord.

What I read last week:

Sarah Morgan writes a wonderful Christmas appropriate story.

What I am reading now:

Not too far into this one, but have been immediately pulled into it.

And I did start up listening to my audio again – The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I think its a little dark for this time of year so I have sort of just not picked it up. But getting back to walking will help with that. I stopped walking because I was getting such a pain in my hip – not a bad hip but muscular. Been to the physio and have been doing some good stretching which is really helping.

Up next:

This review book which publishes in January.

 

Last Week’s Posts

Stay. Catherine Ryan Hyde

November Wrap Up

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Well I know! It’s December, so hard to believe. My reading is still slow but still getting a little done. At present I am watching cricket on TV and writing this post. Other things are getting in the road of reading!

Hope you have all recovered from your Thanksgiving celebrations and had safe travel if you had to take transport.

What I read last week:

Only book I read this week, and it was very good. Because it was a rather noir mystery/suspense I decided to leave Celine by Peter Heller to a little later.

What I am reading now:

So I chose this lovely Christmas book that has been sitting on my shelf for a few weeks waiting for the right time.

And no advance with my audiobook, I sure need to pick it up again and get going with it!

Up next:

I intend making a choice from one of these according to my mood at the time….

I’ll pick after finishing my present read.

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A Family of Strangers Emilie Richards

Published: Mira
Date: 25th June 2019
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

I slowly read the last pages of A Family of Strangers, reluctant to finish, because then I have to step out of the story web that Emilie Richards has woven and entrapped me in.

Ryan has had to return home to help her parents take care of her two nieces. There Dad is in a submarine somewhere and their mother – Ryan’s sister – Wendy, has let Ryan know she needs to disappear for awhile. Wendy is way older than Ryan so they have never really been at home together so don’t know each other that well.

When Ryan takes on the role of caring for her two nieces Holly and Noelle, she finds the going tough, the girls are lost and very wary. I liked how it wasn’t easy for Ryan as she had to find her way with them and discover what was happening for them.  As well Ryan needs to deal with a situation – a serious one – that she was involved in before she left town.  However she wants to reach out to Teo, the man she loved but left.

Those who like to listen to crime podcasts will appreciate that Ryan has produced and been part of a successful crime podcast. She is a journalist and as a mystery surrounding her sister begins to develop her skills, colleagues and general instincts come into play.

Along the way Ryan is going to have the opportunity of a second chance, she is going to find out what matters to her, how her family really sees her, and where true justice lies.

For those who like an absorbing family story, with mystery that leaves clues along the way so that you are able to infer and make judgements about what tack the story is going in.  A satisfying read.

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? This June.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

I know for most of you – the start of summer. For me the start of winter and just as exciting. We were hit with a cold blast throughout the country which I found quite delicious for the winter fire cosy aspect, and not quite so delicious because of the walk in a biting cold southerly wind – not such fun.

So now I am ready to see what June brings, here we have a long weekend as its Queen’s Birthday weekend, I’ve already celebrated with a bit of book buying with a 20% discount at the local shop and bought a set of books for a niece. Listening to a podcast this morning I discovered Sally Rippin is Australian and the illustrator of the books is Japanese living in New Zealand. Perfect for my niece with an Australian dad and a New Zealand mother. How did I just do that unknowingly! Hope she likes them, Billie B Brown is toted as a feisty heroine. Audrey is 6 1/2 yrs so I am hoping this set will be great winter read alone books for her. They are for emerging readers.

 

What I read last week:

The Bookshop is a sad but beautifully written book, and really well narrated. Maybe I’ll watch the movie as its in our local library. Ayesha at Last and Pride Prejudice and Other Flavors  as it turned out had a Pride and Prejudice flavour to them and I very much liked them both.

What I am reading now:

I am just over a third through A Family of Strangers and enjoying it, it has a similar idea to it as the Jill Shalvis book I read recently The Lemon Sisters, where a sister takes over caring for the children of another sister. However this feels far more realistic and well… a little sinister.

I am listening to one of my Audible sale books

Up next:

A review book and one from the pile of requested books from the library!

 

Last Week’s Posts

The Lemon Sisters   Jill Shalvis

Looking back at May Reading.

 

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Not much going on here. Unseasonably warm for Autumn ending though. I don’t know where the days go to though, they pass so quickly. I am endeavouring to get out walking each day, in the spirit of do something for thirty days in a row and the habit might stick! I went to the city on Friday and then when I got home was too lazy to walk, so beginning the thirty all over again!

What I read last week:

Tell Me Three Things I absolutely loved, The Lemon Sisters is for a coming review, The Mother-in-law was very good on audio and To Night Owl from Dogfish was a really delightful middle grade fiction book that I fell in love with.

What I am reading now:

I am enjoying this slightly Pride and Prejudice twist, set in modern day Canada and about a Muslim couple. This has a different cover to the USA one, which comes out in June. Ayesha has a fondness for a purple hijab and purple notebook (she likes to write poetry)  so of course she was immediately accepted by this reader.

I am listening to

Up next:

A Family of Strangers is Emilie Richards book to be published in June, so happily will get into this one in the coming week.

I’ll most likely read something else as well but it will be a mood pick. 

Last Week’s Posts

Have You Seen Luis Velez    Catherine Ryan Hyde

Are You a Podcast Fan? and surprisingly not many are, I discovered in the comments.

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Night Magic by Emilie Richards

Published: Emilie Richards
Date: 15th August 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 335
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: Author

Skeeter is more than the maverick people usually see. The man who sells caricatures on Jackson Square has caught the eye of a gallery owner in New York, and now he can create the art he really wants to–if he’s willing to make the leap. Skeeter must make another leap. He and Daffy have met before, and their latent attraction ignites immediately. Still, before they can move forward, Skeeter has to tell her the truth about his past. And Daffy, who has specialized in short-term relationships, must now face the reason why. As Daffy and Skeeter delve deeper into the world of voodoo, danger is all around them. They must find a way to stop the exploitation of Daffy’s client. But as they do, will they be able to overcome their own difficult pasts to find a future they can share?

Night Magic rounds out the New Orleans Nights trilogy by Emilie Richards. This is an entirely new book, the previous two were updated and republished. This one completes a series I was so happy to have the opportunity to read. Thanks to the wonderful phenomenon of Indie publishing.

I had loved Skeeter – especially in book one, and so it was with anticipation of a book I’d enjoy I opened up Night Magic. I had been hoping that Skeeter would still have a bit of the bad boy in him, but truly I don’t really think he ever was. He has a heart of gold and incredible talent as an artist. As well he’s open to a new relationship.

Daffy is a psychologist trying to crack open the world of a small group of teenage girls who are very tight lipped. She’s good at her job, astute and caring. But… she herself has some left over issues from childhood that truly are holding her back.

The baddie in this story? Well that would be one of the other characters and a whole lot of hokum pokum voodoo hoodoo.  It’s a race against time to track down the person, place and time to uncover who and what is at the root of the mysterious goings on.

Full of New Orleans flavour this is a highly entertaining and satisfying story. And… I got my wish – this story ended just as I was hoping.

Bayou Midnight by Emilie Richards

Published: Emilie Richards   2nd Edition
Date: 15th July 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 305
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: Author

Homicide detective Sam Long is determined to solve his latest case, but he can’t move forward without help. His best witness to arson and murder is a little girl, and whatever she saw on the night of the fire is safely locked away in her mind. The last thing Sam wants is to consult with anyone, especially Dr. Antoinette Deveraux, a beautiful psychologist trained in hypnosis. He’s certain there’s no place for someone like compassionate Antoinette in a murder investigation. But when she unlocks the child’s memories, Antoinette unlocks something primal and compelling in Sam’s own heart.

Bayou Midnight is the second book in the New Orleans trilogy by Emilie Richards. It is a revised and updated version of a previously published book. These books are set in New Orleans before hurricane Katrina changed it up so much.

As a reader not familiar with this part of the world I have to say I was fascinated by the setting that Emilie Richards describes so well.   I was on my computer researching who cajuns are and their history.  I know the author dearly loves this place, myself I’d be a little nervous, but it certainly is unique.

This is a romantic story about Antoinette – a psychologist and Sam the policeman. We met both in the previous book, and Sam was  someone  I really didn’t like. He was a very suspicious and prickly man, although very loyal and once a friend – always a friend.

In this book he has all these same qualities, plus we see a gentle compassionate side, and that same prickly veneer. He is totally against getting involved and yet very attracted to the lovely Antoinette. I liked her very much, although she has one foible that could lead her into ill health if she kept it up.

The suspense part is that someone is trying to blow up an oil rig and damage an oil company who have been poor employers.  Sam is on the case, but he doesn’t seem to get anywhere until suddenly it is very close to home.

I loved the writing and the descriptions in this book and of course really the characters are just so adorable.  I am so waiting for Night Magic which is Skeeter’s story – a friend of Sams.  This will be a totally new story because back in the bad old days of publishing they thought he was too much of a bad boy to have a book. Oh my! Little did they know then. For my taste he has been cleaned up a bit too much in Book 2 so I hope he still has his attitude when his book now comes to life next month. We shall see!

Lady of the Night by Emilie Richards

Published: Emilie Richards
Date:  June 15th 2018
Format:  e-ARC
Pages:  276
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: Author

The fragile young woman, lying comatose in the ward of City Hospital in New Orleans, has no name and no memories. When she finally awakens, the one thing she can remember is a man’s voice calling her back to consciousness. In all his years of training, no one has touched psychologist Joshua Martane in the same way, and he is determined to help her. Suspected prostitute. Near victim of a serial killer. Mystery surrounds who she is–and who she isn’t.

Lady of the Night is the first of three in the series New Orleans Nights.   I loved reading this one and I certainly look forward to the next two.

This book tells the story of a young woman who awakes in the city hospital, with no memory of who she is, after experiencing terrible trauma. She has been in a coma for so long that they have put her in a psych ward and pretty much given up hope. Except for one psychologist who spends time talking to her, and when she awakes goes into bat for her against the establishment.

The opening chapter immediately sucked me in and I was wondering about this mystery, questions of who, where, what, why, how arose and I wanted them all answered. And eventually they were!

Joshua is the psychologist who helps Maggie as they name her.  He is a compassionate man, a passionate and good therapist. In the face of challenge he can be strong, and calls a spade a spade and tells it like he sees it. But… he has an achilles heel as a result of a past experience, so… he is imperfect and human!  Which makes him a bit frustrating as well.

Josh has two friends from his youth, and both are interesting so I anticipate we will also have Sam’s and Skeeter’s stories to relish along the way. Sam was a bit of a nuisance to begin with but after awhile I liked him.  However it is Skeeter I felt really drawn to… yeah he’s an insightful artist and seems to dabble still in a little ‘crime’ like all three did in their youth.

Maggie’s story is heartbreaking, but once she starts to heal there is no stopping her, and often I thought she was as gifted with insight as Josh or even had more. Sometimes I had to stop and think who was the psychologist!

There is a nasty character as well, of course there is! And he is out to get Maggie. So the plot moves along really well with good pace until all is sorted!  All very satisfying! I just might have bought a paperback copy to put on that keeper shelf!