Since getting some pesky studying-related nuisances (exams, thesis etc.) out of the way, I've been doing some serious reading and movie-watching. Books first.
Having heard recommendations here and there all winter and spring, I'd amassed a large TBR pile (To Be Read, for those of you unfamiliar with the term) so I dug in with a vengeance.
Sarah Addison Allen was a writer whom I had been recommended, particularly because of my love of fantasy and the paranormal. Her novel Garden Spells was available at my local bookshop and since I love gardening, it seemed like a good one to grab. I knew immediately that this was a story that mixed the everyday things and the fantastical side of the story very naturally and matter-of-factly and so it did. I read it in one sitting. It was quite simply well-written and engaging. It had a gentle touch even though there was a definite suspense element. A lovely read. Not quite my usual fare, but perhaps that was why I found it so wonderful.
Another new acquaintance to me was Nancy Martin. I picked the first in her Blackbird Sisters mysteries, How to Murder a Millionaire and couldn't put it down. I chortled my way through the snappy dialogue, eccentric characters and things just going more and more wrong and I just had a great time. Will definitely check out the rest of the series.
One of the most awaited new releases this spring, for me, was the next installment in J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Lover Mine, John Matthew's story, promised to be thrilling and Ward didn't disappoint. I got hooked on the BDB from the first (Dark Lover is the first of the series and an excellent book) and I felt that Lover Mine was a return to absolute top form. The series has been tight since beginning, books one through five are solid reads. I wasn't a huge fan of Lover Enshrined for some reason (book six in the series), but warmed up to Lover Avenged (book seven) again. As much as I loved John Matthew, it was Xhex, the heroine of Lover Mine, who really sealed the deal. Maybe because I found her easy to relate to. Amazing series in the dark end of the romance/fantasy genre. There is violence, some of it hitting against innocent targets, making these books tough reads sometimes and the enemies of the brotherhood, the Lessening Society, are scary as hell. Also, I feel I have to mention that the sex parts may be a bit rough for some romance fans, but I adore this series. A very original take on vampires and an incredible feat world and culture building. Kudos.
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