Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Summer Reading

by Dawn Marie Hamilton

On the east coast of the US, Summer 2010 hit hot, hazy and humid with record temperatures. I stopped by the county library yesterday, and the reading room was packed. Are heat waves good for book sales?

Since I've been writing toward publication, I've met many other writers through my local RWA chapters and online writing groups, both published and unpublished. Need I mention, my TBR pile has grown and is threatening crashing to the floor? I managed to carve out some time to read over the last month. So what have I been reading?

Being of Scottish heritage, I have a passion for all things Scottish and love to read Scottish historical romances. I enjoyed Highland Dragon by Kimberly Killion. I met Kimberly through one of my Yahoo loops, Writers of Scottish Romance.

I also love paranormal romances heaped with great world building. And I prefer series. Series give me the opportunity to meet beloved characters again in follow up books. A couple of years ago, I was fortunate to attend a workshop on world building conducted by JR Ward and Jessica Andersen at the NJRW conference. Inspiring. I added their books to my TBR list and was floored when I read them. Couldn't put them down.

Lover Mine is the latest book in JR's The Black Dagger Brotherhood series. In preparation for the release date, I reread all seven previous books in the series. Great worldbuilding, great character development, great reading.

I most recently read Jessica's Sky Keepers, book three of The Final Prophecy novels. I'm looking forward to getting the latest release Demon Keepers in the mail. Where will you be on December 21, 2012?

So what are you reading? Let me know by leaving a comment.

10 comments:

Josie said...

Dawn,
I am currently reading 3 books: "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks--which I reserve for poolside, the "Left Behind" Series by Tim LaHaye, which was prompted by my bible group studying Revelations, and I'm listening to an audiobook: "John Adams", by David McCullough.

Dawn Marie Hamilron said...

Hi Joanne, Thanks for sharing. I hope you are enjoying your reads as much as I am mine. :)

Paisley Kirkpatrick said...

I love all things Scottish as well - another one with the ancestory. Right now I am reading the most delightful book called "The Wee Mad Road" which is a journal kept over the two years the author and his wife lived in an ancient, rundown croft in Northwestern Highlands along the coast. This author has such a great knack of giving description that I feel like I am experiencing the delightful events right alongside them.

Dawn Marie Hamilron said...

Paisley, Thanks for stopping by. I'm going to add "The Wee Mad Road" to my wish list. :)

Mona Risk said...

I never read paranormal before I started writing my own, a few month ago. Now I am trying to make up. Reading Lord of the Fading Lands by CL Wilson and the Wolves series by Terry Spear.

Dawn Marie Hamilron said...

Hi Mona, I'm expecting one of Terry's books in the mail any day now. I'll have to add CL's book to my wish list. Thanks for sharing. :)

JACLYN DI BONA said...

I most recently read Jessica's Sky Keepers, book three of The Final Prophecy novels. I'm looking forward to getting the latest release Demon Keepers in the mail.

I love Jessica Andersen's books. I'm parshal as Jessica and I are in the same group. NEC/RWA. I finished her DEMON KEEPERS. I have an autographed copy. It joins with her others on my libruary shelf.
If you haven't read it, by all means do. It is fantastic.

Jaclyn

Dawn Marie Hamilron said...

Jaclyn, Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your excitement. I'm waiting on the mailman to deliver Demon Keepers. Then I'll be all set to spend a day with Jessica's imagination. :)

Pat McDermott said...

Dawn, I understand about the TBR pile. It's great weather to stay inside with air conditioning and whittle down that TBR pile. My current reads for enjoyment are mysteries by Scottish writer Kate Atkinson. I enjoy the brooding mood of her intricate stories. I'm also reading lots of young adult novels, as that's what I'm attempting to write myself at the moment. Stay cool!

Sheila Tenold said...

Dawn, I’m a contemporary romance fan. I finished Pamela Morsi's "Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar" and hated to see it end. Recent reads are Joanne Kennedy's "Cowboy Trouble" and Susan Wiggs’s "Fireside." Also, Chris Cleve’s “Little Bee.” Interesting fiction, except I have a hard time reading Jamaican accents in print. I have a growing stack of “To Reads” and now I wondering where I’ll put the Conference books I bring home!
Too many books, not enough time…