My Favorite Reads of 2024 by Lynn Lovegreen

 I love to read, as most writers do. I have eclectic tastes in reading; I read mostly fiction, but some nonfiction too. My favorite genres are YA (young adult) romance, contemporary, and historical fiction. I throw in some middle grade, adult romance, mystery, and history to mix it up a bit. Here are my favorite reads of this year—some were published this year, but others have been around a while. Look through and see if there’s a book that strikes your fancy! I’ve included author website links so you can check them out.

 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (Adult fiction)

https://linktr.ee/snabooks?fbclid=IwY2xjawG8ejhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVyWwJ7QQMoUR__AqI9NK_DN4irOggrpL_bjrJg-NKxWnH1yObGerYDVfA_aem_4xw5JPG64LRUhtM5hHV04w

Anxious teen Aleisha works at the local library when she comes across a list of books that broaden her horizons. Lonely widower Mukesh comes in to see what his late wife saw in books. When Aleisha shares the list, that leads to a transformation of their lives, and the community's. (content warning: mental illness and suicide)

 

The Next Great Jane by K.L Going (Middle Grade fiction)

https://klgoing.com

Jane is a precocious sixth grader determined to become a writer. When a famous author visits her small Maine town, and a hurricane, an obstinate boy, and Jane's Hollywood mother combine, not even Jane can guess the ending. 

 

Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson (Middle Grade Fiction)

https://www.nasugraqhopson.com

An Iñupiaq (Alaska Native) boy collects obsidian when he sees a magic eagle who tells him he must go with him or die like his older brothers. He learns about drumming, singing, and dancing from the Eagle Mother, then teaches other people at a great feast, bringing a sense of community to their culture. Hopson tells the origin story of the Messenger Feast of her Iñupiaq people brilliantly, with heartfelt words and lovely illustrations. This middle grade book won a Newbery Medal nomination for good reason, and will enchant readers of all ages.

 

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (YA Historical Mystery)

https://www.staceyhlee.com

Lulu Wong was Gemma and May Chow’s friend and neighbor before she became a movie star. When the sisters find her body in Chinatown, the police are slow to act, and business leaders use the killing as an excuse to tear down Chinatown to make way for a train station. Gemma and May must find the killer before it’s too late for their neighborhood, and before the killer catches on to their investigation. Historical fiction queen Stacey Lee brings 1930s Los Angeles to life in this great page turner.

 

Sway with Me by Syed M. Massod (YA Romance)

https://www.syed-masood.com

Arsalan’s 100-year-old great-grandfather taught him everything he knows. Not wanting to be totally alone one day, he asks feisty Beenish, stepdaughter of a prominent matchmaker, for help. She agrees if he’ll help her ruin her sister’s wedding by performing a forbidden dance. They end up growing closer than either would imagine.
This hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story is a gem! Love the romance, found family, and multi-generational love! (content warning: physical abuse)

 

Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau (Adult Mystery)

https://cathypegau.com

Romance, mystery, and Alaska history--this hit so many of my interests! Cathy Pegau's Murder on the Last Frontier is a great feminist historical mystery set in Cordova, Alaska during the suffragist days. I will look for more from this Alaskan author.⁠

 

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (YA Romance)

https://www.taliahibbert.com

Bradley manages his OCD, his classes, and his friendship with the popular guys pretty well, but trading insults and barbs with Celine isn’t as fun as it looks. Celine has one goal: to become the next Golden Explorer and protégé of the famous lawyer Katharine Breakspeare, but when Brad decides to compete for the title, she’ll need to beat him to get there. A survival course in the woods might lead to a winner, or an emotional adventure neither of them expects. This second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance kept me up late turning pages--funny, witty, and heartfelt in all the right ways. (content warning: mental illness)

 

If you’d like to look at other books I’ve read, you can follow me on The StoryGraph at https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/lynnlovegreen.

 

 

 

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 

Best Books I Read in 2018 by Lynn Lovegreen

According to my Goodreads list, I read a dozen books in 2018. (I think there are actually more, if I include books I read for historical research or read but forgot to add to my book review list.) Some of the dozen were published last year, and some I just got around to reading in 2018—when your to-be-read list is as long as mine, it takes a while to get through it! 

I enjoyed all of these, so rather than choose one book as the best, I’m taking the liberty to come up with a few winners. Although I read some great books meant for adults, I chose books for younger audiences here to encourage our Romancing the Genres followers to try books and authors they may not know. 

Best Middle Grade Book: Hunger: A Tale of Courage by Donna Jo Napoli

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297481-hunger

Another great historical novel from Donna Jo Napoli! Engaging and well written as well as historically accurate--I couldn't wait to see how Lorraine would help her family survive the Irish potato famine.

I would classify it as MG because of the main character's age and issues, but teen and adult readers who are into history or Ireland would also enjoy it. Napoli also has a glossary, bibliography, and historical notes in the back.

Best Contemporary Young Adult: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32497607-the-hate-u-give

You may have already heard about the novel or the recent movie. This book won lots of awards, and deserved them all. Starr is an African-American teen who lives in a poor black neighborhood and goes to a mostly white prep school. Her worlds collide when a friend is shot by a police officer.  

Brilliant, thoughtful, heart-breaking, and heart-warming! I recommend it for both teens and adults.


Best Historical Young Adult: Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26192915-outrun-the-moon

Mercy challenges people's expectations of Chinese-Americans while finding her place in an elite boarding school. Then the San Francisco earthquake provides challenges and opportunities of its own. Great historical details, and I loved the strong heroine! Highly recommended for teens and adults.

Best Heart-Warming Book: The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20745354-the-last-true-love-story

Loved this book! Brendan Kiely weaves teens, love, music, poetry, family, and more into this road trip homage to the Odyssey. 

Teddy's dad is dead and his mom is married to her job, so his grandpa has basically raised him. As Gpa is losing his memories to Alzheimer's, Teddy tries to recover them by taking him to where he met his wife. Teddy's friend (and crush) Corrina goes along to escape her stifling adoptive parents and get a chance to pursue the musical life she's always wanted. With parents and the police looking for them, they take the back roads across the country, and discover more than they expected. 

Lots of heart in this book--you will be rewarded on many different levels. Although this is an awesome book for teens, adult readers will also enjoy it.

Happy New Year! May you find lots of great books to read in 2019!

Are you on Goodreads, too? You can find me there at 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7429330.Lynn_Lovegreen.

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for fifty years. She taught for twenty years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Reading Outside The Square

By Cassandra O'Leary 
A couple of months ago I found myself in a reading rut. I had plenty of ebooks to read on my Kindle app, paperbacks I bought ages ago taking up space on my to be read pile, but nothing appealed to me. This was not cool. I'm a big reader...normally I love it for relaxation and enjoyment. But nothing was tickling my proverbial fancy.

As a contemporary romance and romantic comedy author, I'd found myself buying books in those genres almost automatically. I was reading them with a critical eye, working out whether I liked the balance of humour and more subtle character elements, whether the plot was interesting or how they snuck up on me with twists or surprises. Long story short, I was reading with the analytical mind of a writer and it was hurting my head.

I set myself a vague goal of reading some different books, outside my usual sub-genres. Guess what? I found some gems that not only impressed me from a writerly standpoint, but drew me into the story world unlike some of my other recent reads. I think the difference is the step back from my own work. Sometimes it's good to reinvigorate your love of reading just for the love of it.

Here's a short list of some of those books I've enjoyed most.

1. Psy Changling series by Nalini Singh

I'm currently reading Kiss of Snow, book 10 in this expansive paranormal romance/fantasy/sci fi series. So many people had recommended these books to me, knowing that I'm a Star Trek and science fiction fan from way back when. They were right! I should listen to my clever bookish friends.

I love the complexity of the world building in this series, with its contingent of alpha heroes from werewolf and leopard characters, strong heroines and an undercurrent of impending war. The strangely Silent Psy race who have contained their emotions and live almost entirely online, is an interesting take on our society's current reliance on technology. It's also a super sexy series filled with sexual tension...if you like that sort of thing. Hint: I do!

Psy Changling series info - nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series

2. A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas

This is an addictive new adult fantasy series with mythological and romantic elements. Powerful fae and demons rule a number of kingdoms, and our heroine (a human who later becomes immortal after she dies and is resurrected) must navigate a complex political landscape of rival courts.

This series sucked me right in, and I did not expect the changes the heroine brought about in her world through her actions in choosing, then leaving, a fairy mate. She's strong and relentless, weilds a sword and isn't afraid of monsters. Or if she is afraid, she goes out there and deals with them anyway. Now I'm about to start reading Maas's other series, Throne of Glass. I can't wait!

A Court of Thorns and Roses series info - sarahjmaas.com/court-of-thorns-and-roses

3. The Merridew Sisters series by Anne Gracie

This series is pure Regency fun, with a light touch of humour that I thoroughly enjoyed. Anne is an Aussie author I've had the pleasure of learning from, as I've attended a couple of her writing seminars. I just knew I would adore her books, from the moment I heard her speak about imbuing characters with depth, humour and heart but not forgetting to show their faults and flaws.



I started with The Perfect Rake, the first book in the series, and it's now a firm favourite. Highly recommended read for all the historical fans, or anyone who likes a well constructed story with a dishy hero.

The Merridew Sisters series info - www.annegracie.com/books/the-merridew-sisters


Anyway, I hope I've inspired others to read outside their usual box and grab a good read that sings in a completely different key.

About Cassandra O'Leary

Cassandra O'Leary is a romance and women's fiction author, communications specialist, avid reader, film and TV fangirl and admirer of pretty, shiny things. In 2015, Cassandra won the We Heart New Talent contest run by Avon Books/HarperCollins UK. Her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was published in July 2016. Cassandra is a mother of two gorgeous, high-energy mini ninjas and wife to a spunky superhero. Living in Melbourne, Australia, she's also travelled the world. If you want to send her to Italy or Spain on any food or wine tasting 'research' trips, that would be splendiferous.

Read more at cassandraolearyauthor.com

Book Recommendations: Reading Is Way More Fun Than Back-To-School Preparations

By Michelle Monkou

With my children well on their way to the land of adulthood, my back to school experience is not the usual mad dash to buy uniforms, sign up one child or the other in a team sport, or assist with the long summer reading list that they are only beginning to tackle before school starts.

Instead, I have one child off to graduate school in London, England. I'm...or I should say, she is....knee deep in paperwork, travel arrangements, and all the other things that you don't think about until the last minute. It's quite hectic.

So I'd like to make a few reading recommendations to offset the harried times that surrounds back-to-school time with K. M. Jackson's The Betting Vow, Tessa Dare's The Duchess Deal, and Tessa Bailey's Disorderly Conduct.

THE BETTING VOW
By K. M. Jackson

Leila Darling is past done with the supermodel thing, especially the mega-parties and high-profile flings that have done nothing but leave her alone and jaded. She’s got the talent to be a serious actress, but the industry sees her as a high-maintenance, impulsive party girl with a reputation for leaving men in the dust—especially TV producer Carter Bain. 
 
Carter’s had his eye on Leila for years, so when a bet gives him a chance to get close to her, he accepts. With the goal of getting Leila the image makeover she needs and Carter the star he desires, the game is on. Get married and stay married for six months. If Leila lasts, she gets her pick of his A-list roles. If Carter wins, she’ll take the hot sidekick part he’s offered. 
 
But as their “I do” turns up all kinds of heat, Leila and Carter find they have more in common than they ever imagined. Are these two prepared to put business aside and surrender the ultimate prize, their hearts?

I love that K. M. Jackson starts The Betting Vow by getting out of the way with any author intrusion. Immediately Leila Darling starts off her story, in her way, with a bit of pragmatism, a good dose of inner grit, and a side of vulnerability that invites us to care about her, her goals, her dreams to win. 

And of course, career driven Carter Bain, hero extraordinaire, is the perfect match for Leila. Neither knows this or wants to trust in the powerful connection, but I was in this for the long haul. In the words by Tyra Banks, in full meltdown scream, "I was rootin' for you (them)." Every step of the way. And K. M. Jackson didn't disappoint with this gem.

THE DUCHESS DEAL

By Tessa Dare

Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.

His terms are simple:

- They will be husband and wife by night only.

- No lights, no kissing. 

- No questions about his battle scars. 

- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:

- They will have dinner together every evening. 

- With conversation.

- And unlimited teasing.

- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…

What a beautiful story! Really, I'm not being overly enthusiastic. The plotline is endearing, uplifting, and just really swoon-worthy. From beginning to end, we care about these two strangers who come together for his/her own cause.

We care about them from the very start because of Tessa Dare's writing. Talk about emotionally laden scenes. Pick any scene to read and immediately you're pulled into the time period, to the situation, to the conflict, and to the resolution.

If you haven't figured it out, I truly enjoyed The Duchess Deal. Read it. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.


DISORDERLY CONDUCT
By Tessa Bailey

Police academy cadet Charlie Burns can’t believe his luck when the gorgeous blonde he meets in a bar murmurs those magic words: “Nothing serious, ’kay?” Mind-blowing, no-strings sex with Ever Carmichael—it’s the holy grail of hookups for a guy who’s too busy following in his law enforcement family’s footsteps to think about getting serious. Charlie’s all about casual…that is, until Ever calls it quits and his world tilts on its axis.

Ever knows that when you control the relationship game, you can’t get played. But for the first time, she wants more than short-term satisfaction. Step one: end her fling with commitment-phobic Charlie. Step two: sacrifice herself to the ruthless NYC dating scene. Yet everywhere she turns, there’s Charlie, being his ridiculously charming self. No online match or blind date compares to the criminally hot cop-in-training, but they’re over. Aren’t they?

If love is a four-letter-word, why does the idea of Ever seeing someone else tie Charlie up in knots?  Now he’s desperate to win her back…and a little date sabotage never hurt anyone, right?

Let's talk dirty. Let's talk sexy. Let's talk about Tessa Bailey's Disorderly Conduct which is a sensual and emotional ride that you don't want to end. Bailey casts the perfect couple to bring together and challenge each other with their philosophies on life and relationships.

While definitely a sexy read, and the scenes are a scorcher, Disorderly Conduct doesn't get bogged down by the voracious sexual appetites of Charlie and Ever. Instead their dogged approach to stay their course with each other is enhanced by how (sincerely) hungry they are for each other. What does torment their relationship are pulled from their lives and fears giving authenticity to the story. At the end of the day, this hunky romance read will have you rooting for this couple's happy ever after ending. Who doesn't like a hero who writes love letters?

Happy Reading!!