Reading

It’s been a busy month, and I almost skimped on the reading, but taking a few days off from my life on a short vacation not only recharged me, but sparked something in my reading.

I truly hate starting a book and having to put it down. I’ve learned to read fast, get the action moving, get through it, and see how my hero saved the day. I think I miss detail that way, and it might explain why I’m told my writing has plot down well enough but I’m lacking in detail. I’m rushing past it even in my reading. It stems from being an escapist reader. I read and I’m in my own world regardless of where I am physically: airport, train, bed, pool. I think this ability has also helped me in my writing and why I can dive in the way I do.

However. I’m going to try and slow down. And if I can’t, then I’ll browse back through the book once I’m done.  In the meantime…

Alibi Man by Tami Hoag – I enjoyed this as an audio book on the work commute. Elena Estes was a remarkable main character with flaws that make you want to smack her and hug her at the same time. Her journey forces her to relive the worst of her past in horrifying ways. The murder she has to solve and the manner in which she must do so made me want to scream at her, but she plodded on, problem after problem. Very enjoyable, and I’m definitely going to pick up another Hoag novel.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs – The last I read of Ms. Briggs was early last year, and the novel was Moon Called. It reminded me how much I enjoy werewolf stories with the wolves being the good guys. Iron Kissed didn’t disappoint with another element to the magic of the Tri Cities and the mystery of a Walker, and beloved Mercedes Thompson gets herself into heaps of trouble all over again as she tries to save a friend from a murder rap.

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs – Engaging read as Mercy faces a bigger monster than before, and is forced to work on her own to protect her loved ones. She’s pushed to do things a normal person would rather die than do, and she changes because of these events. The world changes around her, including her friends and loved ones. It ended the way I’d hoped, but not exactly predicted. The love story rears its head big time in this one, integrating into the action, rather than being a subplot.

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs – I prefer to read a series one book after the next so I don’t miss the foreshadowing from one story to the next. My latest read puts Mercy into her most precarious predicament yet. The plotting in this one is singing to me. I’d love to know how Ms. Briggs put this one together, if she knew the ending while she wrote out the story, or if she figured it out once she’d gotten it all down. Did she add the twist? Did it throw itself in? Definitely her best work yet, and if I weren’t so eager for the next one, I’d reread this one now. (Actually, I’ll wait until I’m done the series, then I can go back and go over the whole thing).

Next up: more Briggs if the library has the books. Happy Reading to you, and please do share if you’ve read any other werewolf stories. I feel one of my own coming on.