Three of the Best: Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich and Katie Fforde

I read a lot. Often I have a couple of novels going at a time (one mellow one for before bed reading, and one more exciting one for first thing in the morning with breakfast). And my to-be-read pile is staggering. Okay...it's a whole shelf. OKAY--it's two whole shelves. And a partial other shelf. Don't judge me. "Hi, my name is Deborah and I am a book junky."

My fiction reading tastes are fairly eclectic: I grew up reading mostly science fiction and fantasy, then expanded into mysteries, paranormal romance and urban fantasy, and some contemporary romance and women's fiction. (I write in all those genres too. Except mystery, and I do have the start of a mystery novel hidden in a drawer somewhere.) I tend to read different things depending on the mood I'm in, and what I'm writing at the time.

[My critique partner, the amazing Lisa DiDio, and I had an interesting conversation about this recently. We have completely different approaches when it comes to what we read while we are in active writing mode. She avoids anything even close to what she's writing, and reads different genres so that other people's work can't affect her own. I, on the other hand, tend to immerse myself into whatever genre I'm writing at the time, so that my head stays in that "place." Interesting, yes? If you're a writer, which approach do you take?]

I also have what I consider to be "comfort reads." Like comfort food, only in book form. These are the authors I love so much that I will return to their books over and over again. I even buy their books in hardcover, if I can (gasp!).

During my recent weeks of dealing with The Cold from Hell, now renamed The Cold that Would Not Die, I reread a whole bunch of my favorite romances, written by three of my favorite authors: Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, and Katie Fforde. All three tend to write fabulous quirky characters and have wonderful humorous voices. If you haven't heard of Katie Fforde, it is probably because she is British, but if you like warm, funny, true-to-the-heart romances, you should definitely seek her out. In fact, you should seek them all out.

There's a reason why I reread these books over and over, and that's the quality of the writing. As an author, I am always aware of how writers use words and imagery and build a world that draws the reader in. These three do all that as well as any writers I've ever read. I want to be them, when I grow up.

In the meanwhile, I try to learn everything I can from reading and rereading their many books. And they never get old, because these three authors are just that good.

Have you ever read any of their books, and if so, what did you think? And who are your favorite "comfort read" authors? Inquiring minds want to know.

National Read A Book Day--What I've been reading!

Happy National Read A Book Day! Of course, around my house, EVERY day is read a book day. Which would explain why I had to buy yet another bookshelf last month...

I have a stack of books I've read recently that I liked even more than usual, and I've been meaning to blog about them. Seems like National Read A Book Day is the perfect day to do so. Some are books in series I've been reading and enjoying, others are new books by a few of my favorite authors, and I've got a couple of new discoveries in there as well. Every single one of them comes with  my highest recommendation, and I hope you'll go out and try one or two and come back to tell me if you liked them as much as I did.

Favorite Series:
GHOST STORY by Jim Butcher -- The Harry Dresden series (which I first discovered from the short-lived but wonderful TV show based on the books) is amazing, magical, clever, and funny urban fantasy. For these of you who might not be familiar with it, Harry is the only professional wizard in Chicago. This book has been eagerly awaited by fans of the series, since Butcher left us hanging at the end of the previous book. *shakes fist at author* And it doesn't disappoint. At all. If you haven't read these, I suggest you start at the beginning, with STORM FRONT.
THE SNOW QUEEN'S SHADOW by Jim C. Hines -- the final installment in the "Princess" series, this book features the same kick-ass heroines as the others, and winds things up very satisfactorily. Hines' take on the traditional fairy tales is second to none; these are NOT your childhood princesses, I assure you. Read this whole series, too. The first book is THE STEPSISTER SCHEME.
MAGIC SLAYS & MAGIC BLEEDS by Ilona Andrews -- I got behind on this series, which meant I got to read two in a row. Huzzah! Another urban fantasy series, this one is set in Atlanta, but in an Atlanta that is very different from the one we know. Kate Daniels is one of my favorite heroines, and the world-building here is second to none. The series starts with MAGIC BITES.

Favorite Authors:
I don't always read fantasy or urban fantasy; sometime I like a nice contemporary romance, especially one with a touch of humor or an exotic locale. (I'm actually very picky about the romance I read, however, so the few favorite authors I have are REALLY good.)
I have a weakness for British contemporaries, and my absolute top author there is Katie Fforde. I like her work so much, I actually order the books directly from England, rather than waiting the extra year for them to come out here. (Although I do usually wait until the hardcovers are available used through an Amazon seller.) I somehow got one behind on these as well, so I just read two and loved them both. These books are all stand-alones, so they don't need to be read in any particular order. If you're a fan of Jennifer Crusie's writing, you'll like SUMMER OF LOVE, A PERFECT PROPOSAL and everything else Fforde has ever written.
Mindy Klasky is another author whose work I love, whether it was her humorous paranormal series or her earlier fantasies. I don't normally read the Harlequin Special Edition books, but when Mindy came out with one, I made an exception. And I was glad I had, because THE MOGUL'S MAYBE MARRIAGE was sweet and charming and lots of fun to read.
Starhawk is a well-known Pagan author of nonfiction (THE SPIRAL DANCE is a must-read classic) but I'd had her novel THE FIFTH SACRED THING on my bookshelves for years without getting around to reading it. My writing partner Lisa recommended it, though, and she was right--it was amazing!

New Discoveries:
One of the best parts of reading is when you find a new author whose work you love. I just read three new or new-to-me authors, one of which I liked a lot and two of which I loved with a white-hot passion that had me telling everyone I know to run out and buy their books.
I've been in fairy tale mode, so I really enjoyed the YA fantasy THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT by Julie Berry. If you like charming stories set in earlier eras with likable heroines, you should definitely check this out.
I was lucky enough to get an advance reader's copy at RWA of Rosemary Clement-Moore's new book, TEXAS GOTHIC. Run out and buy this book. (No, really--I'll wait.) I love books that feature magic and witches, especially if the author finds a clever new approach. This YA has a terrific protagonist, Amy Goodnight, who is saddled with a charming but eccentric family and a lot of secrets. I read this book in two days, because I just couldn't put it down, and I can only hope that Rosemary writes another one with these same lovable and quirky characters.
And I just finished a fabulous debut novel, MAKING WAVES by Tawna Fenske. Another contemporary romance, with just the right amount of humor and spiciness, this is another book you should run out and buy immediately. If not sooner! I was laughing out loud by page five. Heck, it is worth reading it for the Jell-O salad alone. Fenske is my new favorite discovery and I can't wait to read her next one.

So, now that I've told you what I've been reading, what about you? Any new books by old favorites? Any great new discoveries you have to shout about? What are you reading for National Read a Book Day?