The Cupid Effect by Dorothy Koomson

There's something magical about Ceri D'Altroy...

After departing London to follow her hearts desire to become a psychology lecturer, Ceri D'Altroy vows to leave her matchmaking ways behind her for good. Unfortunately, all she seems to do is inspire the new people she meets to change their lives.

There's Ed, who's decided to declare his love to a woman who is way out of his league; Mel and Claudine, two long-term friends who are now tempted to start an illicit affair; and Gwen, the chain-smoking head of department who has a deep, dark secret she only wants to share with her new employee.

No one who comes into contact with Ceri is ever the same again. Could this unsuspecting young woman be a modern-day Cupid?

When Ceri decides to follow her dream, that means leasing out the London apartment that she has worked so hard to obtain, and moving into a share house in Leeds and starting to lecture of psychology whilst doing some research. It's also a chance to leave the past behind, and for Ceri that means a chance to be able to stop being that person who everyone comes to to try and sort out their problems. To aid in that, Ceri writes herself a list of commandments:

1. Thou shalt sort out thy cardiovascular system

2. Thou shalt NOT get involved in other people's lives

3. Even if they're really, really nice thou shalt remember Commandment 2

4. Thou shalt think before thy speaks

5. Thou shalt think again before thy speaks

6. Thou shalt watch less Angel

7. Thou shalt remember that Angel is a 250-year-old vampire who dated Buffy The Vampire Slayer, not the man you're going to be with forever and ever.

As a character Ceri herself was a lot of fun. She is a trekkie who has a rather unhealthy obsession with Angel from Buffy and who people like to talk to. She also does seem to have an affect on people where she makes them feel like they need to be in love and when they do have love problems, she is always available with good advice. In Leeds that means walking a fine line between Mel and Claudine, two best friends who can't decide if they want to be together or not. There is also Ed, her housemate who is in love with a girl who seems to be completely out of his league, her boss, several of her students and a couple of random strangers! Of course, there is also that strange man who just stares at her all the time as well.

I did enjoy hearing about Ceri's previous disastrous love affairs, including the one with Whathisname Tosspot! Made me laugh every time I saw that because, quite frankly, it pretty much could be my ex's pet name!

This was Koomson's first book and honestly you can tell. It is not as good as My Best Friends Girl but certainly has charm and you can tell that as an author Dorothy Koomson has got talent and potential. If anything this book suffered a little in trying to come up with a theory as to why Ceri has the effect that she has on people - it just seemed a little try hard.

Despite the reservations I have about this, her first book, I am looking forward to reading more from her. When I read My Best Friend's Girl, that was the only book of Dorothy Koomson's that was in my library system. Fortunately for me, they have now got this one and another two beside, and hopefully will be getting the newest book Goodnight Beautiful which is out in the UK in August.

Teaser Tuesday: The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

This week my teaser comes from The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson. I first read this author a few years ago when I read the oh so good My Best Friend's Girl and ever since then I have been working my way through all her books. The premise for this one feels a bit different than her other books, so it will be interesting to see how it all pans out in the end.

My teaser comes from page 48:

When all the dots are joined, when he gets to the end of the puzzle, the policeman's face gives him away. It freezes in its inquisitive expression as everything falls into place and he connects the dot of my old name with the dot of my general description with the dot of my alleged crime. And there he has it; who the woman he's just pulled over is.

Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out  all about it, and how to join in!

Library Loot: April 21 to 27

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Eva has Mr Linky this week, so be sure to head on over and share what you picked up from the library this week.

Once again I have had a very small week in terms of the number of items picked up from the library. I have been very, very controlled about requesting books whilst I am doing the Reading Our Own Bookshelves challenge, but given that we are getting close to the end of the month, I think I can start requesting some more now. I have managed to get my library list right down though, so I am going to try not to go too crazy and get back up to 60 items out too quickly. Did you notice that? Not that I won't get back up there at all, but rather that it won't happen too quickly. I know my own bad habits!

Here are the two items I did get:

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson - I have been a big fan of Dorothy Koomson since I first read My Best Friends's Girl (my first and still my favourite) so as soon as I saw that there was a new book coming out, and that my library had ordered it, I had my name on the list. Since then I have read a review which talks about some of the subject matter, and I am not as sure that I will like it, but we will see how it goes.

Young Victoria (DVD) - It is very rare for me to get to the movies to see something that isn't for kids. I meant to go and see this one, but it didn't happen.

Just for fun, here is the trailer for Young Victoria. Hopefully I will get to watch it over the weekend.

Library Loot: 8 to 14 September

We have a new badge for Library Loot! Thanks to Mollie from Book Fare Delights who came up with this fresh new look for Library Loot! I also wanted to say thank you to the other people who sent in designs. We really appreciate your efforts.

Feel free to snag this new badge and use it to decorate your Library Loot posts.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

 
I have a lot of reloot this week in my Library Loot! I keep borrowing books that I really want to read, but then not getting to read them, so I borrow them again! These are the books that I am relooting:
 
 

 
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris- next book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.
 
 

 
The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson- I have really enjoyed reading Dorothy Koomson's books. Hopefully this time I will get to read it!
 
 

 
A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick- I have actually already read this book but I just wanted to re familiarise a couple of sections.

 
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield- I wasn't sure whether to start with the Uglies series, but decided to go with this one for now.

 Lament by Maggie Stiefvater- Heard such good things about this book.
 
And the new books that I borrowed are:

 
The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden- The next book in the Tomorrow series of books.

Emma Vol 6 by Kaoru Mori- The next book in the Emma series of graphic novels set in Victorian England.
 
What loot did you get this week? Add your link to your Library Loot post so we can all come around and have a look!

Library Loot: March 2 to 8

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Claire has the Mr Linky this week, so once you have checked out my loot, head over there to share your Library Loot link.

Here's my loot for this week:

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson - again. Dorothy Koomson has just released a new book, which reminded me that I still haven't read this one, despite borrowing it a few times! Must rectify this!

Faithful Place by Tana French - another reloot. Carrie from Books and Movies is hosting a readalong of this book as part of the Ireland Reading Challenge so I thought I should probably reborrow the book to try and participate.

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris - yet another reloot! Recently it was suggested that there are only another couple of books to come in this series, so I should make an effort not to get too far behind.

Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon - not reloot! Hah, bet you thought it was going to be! This is the next book in the Dark Hunter series. I remember the excitement when the book first came out, but it has taken me this long to catch up to that point in the series.

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum -My plan for April is to go and see Keith Urban in concert, although that is looking a bit less likely to happen due to unexpected expenses. Ever the optimist though I thought I should acquaint myself with Lady Antebellum's music as they are the support act. Here is American Honey.

Top Ten Tuesday: Chocolate anyone?

 

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the topic is  Books with [___] On the Cover (Pick a thing (a color, an item, a place, an animal, a scripty font, a sexy person, etc.) and share covers that have that thing on the cover.) My thing is chocolate! Originally I was thinking about posting this last week in honour of Easter but then I saw that this was the next theme it seemed perfect for this week!

I'll start with the chocolate themed books I have read, then a few that I want to read.

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith - The second book in the Isabel Dalhousie series set in Edinburgh (review here)

Bread and Chocolate by Philippa Gregory - I read this short story collection more than 15 years ago. I don't remember a thing about it though! (review here)

The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson - I read several Koomson books and then haven't read another for years. I do remember really liking this one

The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand - Laura Florand has an entire series of books with chocolate titles, and then a couple of others. If you love foodie romances, especially set in France, then this series is for you. (review here)

The Chocolate Tin by Fiona McIntosh - This book was chock-full of chocolate history, set just after the end of WWI.

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins - I've been known to have chocolate cake for breakfast on occasion! (review)

The Chocolate Chip Murder by Joanna Fluke - This ws the first book in the Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series. I read about 8 books in the series until I got annoyed with the love triangle. There are now 28 books in the series, many with chocolate titles, but I won't be going back seeing as it appears that the love triangle thing is still going.

The Chocolate Promise by Josephine Moon - Last year I read The Jam Queens by this author, and I still have this on my Kindle to read at some point.

The Chocolate Maker's Wife by Karen Brooks - I have this book sitting on my Kindle for a while too.

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan - I have read a number of books by Jenny Colgan over the years, but this one is still on the TBR list.

Have you read any other chocolate themed books?

My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson

Kamryn Matika has no responsibilities - one birthday card will change that for ever.... Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them - until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five-year-old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself.

I first heard about this book over at Karen Scott's blog. The review that she wrote was one of those that made me go...I have to read this book now! Yes, it took me 3 months to do so (and a bit longer to get to write this review), but it was definitely worth getting this book out of the library.

The only problem I had was that I started reading it on the train on the way home from work one day, and given that I started crying on the second page that was probably a mistake! I went back to read Karen's review when I got home to see if there was sufficient warning that this was going to be one of those books that made me cry...and there really was! Once I kept reading, in the privacy of my own home, I cried and laughed throughout this book and thoroughly enjoyed my read!

Please don't think that this is a morose or depressing book because it really isn't! The story IS emotional, but there are sufficient moments of joy and humour (and love) to be able to balance out those emotional moments, without trying to undermine the backbone of the novel or resorting to cliches.

In closing, I would really encourage you to read Karen's review of this book by clicking on the link above! She has done an excellent job of dissecting the characters and the story - far better than I can possibly do!

This is the only Koomson book that my library has, which is a shame because I would love to read more by this author! Watch out Book Depository here I come!

Rating 4.5/5

K

Kalotay, Daphne - Russian Winter
Karafilly, Irena - The Captive Sun
Karr, Shirley - Confessions of a Viscount
Karr, Shirley - Kiss from a Rogue
Karr, Shirley - What an Earl Wants

Kashiwai, Hisashi - The Kamogawa Food Detectives

Kashiwai, Hisashi - The Menu of Happiness

Kashiwai, Hisashi - The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

Kawaguchi, Toshikazu - Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Kawaguchi, Toshikazu - Before Your Memory Fades

Kearsley, Susanne - The Deadly Hours
Kearsley, Susanna - The Firebird

Kearsley, Susanna - The King's Messenger
Kearsley, Susanna - The Rose Garden

Kearsley, Susanna - The Shadowy Horses
Kearsley, Susanna - The Winter Sea (Sophia's Secret)

Keer, Jenni - The House of Lost Whispers
Kelman, Stephen - Pigeon English
Keneally, Meg - The Wreck
Kennedy, Sean - Tigers and Devils
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Dance with the Devil
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Dragonswan
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Fantasy Lover
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Kiss of the Night
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Night Embrace
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Night Play
Kenyon, Sherrilyn - Night Pleasures
Kessel, Jo - Weak at the Knees
Keyes, Marian - Angels
Keyes, Marian - Anybody Out There?
Keyes, Marian - Further Under the Duvet
Keyes, Marian - Last Chance Saloon
Keyes, Marian - Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married
Keyes, Marian - Postcards from the Bed
Keyes, Marian - Rachel's Holiday
Keyes, Marian - Saved by Cake
Keyes, Marian - The Mystery of Mercy Close
Keyes, Marian - This Charming Man
Keyes, Marian - Watermelon
Kim, Young and Meyer, Stephenie - Twilight: The Graphic Novel Vol 1
King, Stephen - It

King, Susan Fraser - Lady Macbeth

Kidd, Sue Monk - The Secret Life of Bees
Kinsale, Laura - Lessons in French
Kleypas, Lisa - Because You're Mine
Kleypas, Lisa - Blue-Eyed Devil
Kleypas, Lisa - Devil in Winter
Kleypas, Lisa - Dreaming of You
Kleypas, Lisa - It Happened One Autumn
Kleypas, Lisa - Lady Sophia's Lover
Kleypas - Lisa - Midnight Angel
Kleypas - Lisa - Mine Till Midnight
Kleypas - Lisa - Only With Your Love
Kleypas - Lisa - Prince of Dreams
Kleypas, Lisa - Scandal in Spring
Kleypas, Lisa - Secrets of a Summer Night
Kleypas, Lisa - Someone to Watch Over Me
Kleypas, Lisa - Somewhere I'll Find You
Kleypas, Lisa - Stranger in my Arms
Kleypas, Lisa - Suddenly You
Kleypas, Lisa - Sugar Daddy
Kleypas, Lisa - Then Came You
Kleypas, Lisa - Worth Any Price
Knisley, Lucy - French Milk
Knisley, Lucy - Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

Knisley, Lucy - Relish: My Life in the Kitchen (reread)
Knox, Ruthie - Ride with Me
Koen, Karleen - Before Versailles

Koens, Stefanie - Daughters of Batavia
Koomson, Dorothy - The Cupid Effect
Koomson, Dorothy - My Best Friend's Girl
Krahn, Bettina - The Husband Test
Krahn, Bettina - The Wife Test
Krahn, Bettina - The Marriage Test
Krauss, Nicole - The History of Love
Krentz, Jayne Ann - Light in Shadow
Krentz, Jayne Ann - Truth or Dare

Kuroki, Poppy - Gate to Kagoshima
Kwaymullina, Ambelin - The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

100+ Reading Challenge

January


1. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
2. Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich
3. The Leopard Unleashed by Elizabeth Chadwick
4. The Last Queen by C W Gortner
5. To Seduce a Bride by Nicole Jordan
6. Secrets of Surrender by Madeline Hunter

February

7. His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley
8. The Water Horse by Julia Gregson
9. Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell
10. The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
11. Foul Play by Janet Evanovich
12. Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
13. Snowy Night with a Stranger anthology
14. Portrait in Death by J D Robb
15. Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
16. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
17. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
18. Life as we knew it by Susan Pfeffer
19. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

March

20. The New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
21. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
22. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
23. The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson
24. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
25. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
26. Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
27. Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood
28. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
29. Angelique and the Sultan by Sergeanne Golon
30. Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich
31. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
32. Night of Flames by Douglas W Jacobson
33. Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
34. Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis
35. An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell
36. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
37. Forbidden Fantasies anthology

April

38. Tiger Claws by John Speed
39. Gilded Web by Mary Balogh
40. Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry
41. Marked by P C Cast and Kristin Cast
42. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
43. Don't Bargain with the Devil by Sabrina Jeffries
44. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
45. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
46. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
47. The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson
48. Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

May

49. The Terror by Dan Simmons
50. Children of Destiny by Elizabeth Chadwick
51. Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
52. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
53. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
54. The Boat by Nam Le
55. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding anthology
56. The Sharing Knife: Beguilement
57. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
58. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint
59. Her Only Desire by Gaelen Foley
60. Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus
61. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith

June

62. Why Shoot a Butler by Georgette Heyer
63. In the Woods by Tana French
64. To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
65. Imitation in Death by J D Robb
66. Full Moon by Keri Arthur
67. Betrayed by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
68. The Bridegroom by Linda Lael Miller
69. A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander
70. Made to be Broken by Kelley Armstrong
71. A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick
72. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
73. Sin and Scandal in England by Melody Thomas
74. The French Mistress by Susan Holloway Scott

July

75. Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham
76. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
77. The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon
78. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y K Lee
79. Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
80. Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
81. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
82. The Dark Rose by Cynthia Harrod Eagles
83. Chosen by P C Cast and Kristin Cast
84. An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James
85. Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters
86. The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella

August

87. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
88. Web of Love by Mary Balogh
89. Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters
90. The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan
91. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
92. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
93. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
94. Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden
95. The Sins of Lord Easterbrook by Madeline Hunter
96. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
97. Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott
98. Untamed by P C Cast and Kristin Cast
99. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
100. Shields of Pride by Elizabeth Chadwick
101. Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries
102. Vision in White by Nora Roberts
103. Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Smile

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Make Me Smile. I am very conscious though, that many of the books that make me smile are the ones that I have already mentioned multiple times, so I was trying to think of other ways to spin this topic.

I did think I was onto a good thing when I thought that I would look for books that I have read that had words like smile in the title. It turns out I have read very few books with this word in the title, or grin, or any words like that. I needed a different tact.

My TTT list today is therefore a list of things that make me happy. So there are two books about music, two about cake, two about books, two about chocolate, and then finally two books with happy in the titles because these are just a few of the things that make me happy. And the fact that a couple of these books are set in Paris is a bonus. I have added a link to reviews where possible.

The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke (review)

Music and Silence by Rose Tremain

Cake: A Global History by Nicola Humble (review)

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins (review)

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (review)

The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson

The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal

I did want to cheat and share one more book this week. This is a performance of a children's book that I listened to this week, and it made me smile so many times. It is Taika Waititi and some of his friends reading Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. It is pure joy to listen to, so here is the first episode.

Library Loot: March 16 to 22

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I was at my library for an author event tonight (with Sara Foster - potentially more about that later) so it was a last minute dash to the hold shelves to pick up the books that were waiting for me after the talk had finished. It was worth it though, because I had a couple of brand new books to pick up:

Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - Squeee! So excited about this one!

The Woman He Loved Before by Dorothy Koomson - I haven't even read the last book despite borrowing it several times, but that doesn't mean I can't request the book that has just been released!

Sinful in Satin by Madeline Hunter - Next book in the Rarest Bloom series.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier - I have actually started reading this but had to return it unfinished as it was overdue. My plan is to pick it up again shortly where I left off.


Claire has the Mr Linky this week, so please be sure to go and visit and leave your link so that we can all be nosy and see what loot you got this week!

My Reading Year - 2007 - The Highlights

This is my late entry for this week's Booking Through Thursday question

It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year?

List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?

I am answering this question a little late because I knew that I had a couple more books to read that I wanted to be able to include if they were outsanding!

In my stats post I mentioned that there were only two books that I would rate as a 5 out of 5 for the year, but that I would change one of those gradings retrospectively. There are 43 books that I would rate as 4.5 out of 5 and 113 that I rated as 4 out of 5. The thing with grading is that it is very much a gut reaction once I finish a book, and so as I look down the list I am finding that there are some very memorable books that I rated a 4, that looking back I would probably grade higher and vice versa. So, this list might not be all my highest graded book, but they are the most memorable reads of 2007 for me. Where I have written the review I have linked to it (included some over at Historical Tapestry), but it will give you some idea of how far behind I am when you see how many links are missing!

Having said all that, the decision as to what the best book I read was in 2007 was easy! It was......


The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The fact that this was a book with no words amazes me completely, but I was just so affected by this book that I can't praise his work enough!


The Honourable Mentions are:

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon - I swear this woman could write on the back of a cereal box and I would love it!

Taking Liberties and The Sparks Fly Upwards by Diana Norman - I read two of the three books in this trilogy this year, and really enjoyed them. Diana Norman is now one of my favourite books whether under this name or her other name, Ariana Franklin.

In Death series by J D Robb - I read 5 In Death books this year, and really enjoyed them all.

Josephine B series by Sandra Gulland - I read the whole series this year, and very much enjoyed it. Start with The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - so good!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - a really moving book!

My Best Friends Girl by Dorothy Koomson - I cried, I laughed...I loved it!

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani - such an unusual setting - 17th century Persia

The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies - a Booker long list book - WWII in Wales - really good!

Barbed Wire and Roses by Peter Yeldham - I was blown away by this book, which I first picked up because I loved the cover! A story of what happened to one soldier when the history of a WWI doesn't quite make sense.

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall - another book I picked up because of the cover, and enjoyed immensely.

The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay - there were major flaws with this book, but it is a cracking good story that has stayed with me!

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas - I have been hearing that I should have read Zachary Bronsons story for a while, and I am glad that I finally did.

The Prince Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt - one of the best new romance authors I read this year.

Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Mmmm Vane!

Sunday Salon: June Reading Reflections

For my Sunday Salon post this week I am sharing my June reads and a quick update on my challenges.

Here are the books I read in June

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming 4.5/5
Cooee by Vivienne Kelly 3/5
Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean 4.5/5
Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick 5/5
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson 4/5
The Empress of Ice Cream by Anthony Capella 4/5
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn 4/5
22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson 4/5
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn 4/5
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn 3/5
The Katyn Order by Douglas W Jacobson 4/5
The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson 2.5/5
The Relic by Maggie Nash 3/5
Kafka's Soup by Mark Crick 4/5
Friendly Fire by Megan Hart 4/5
The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly 4/5
How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries 4/5
Gale Force by Rachel Caine 3.5/5


In terms of my challenges, 22 Britannia Road is my read for the What's in a Name challenge, and I have just one more category to read until I have completed that challenge.

22 Britannia Road also counted for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, as did Lady of the English, The Empress of the Ice Cream and The Wild Rose. I have 4 more books left before I complete this challenge.

I had a Julia Quinn mini glom in June - I bought Just Like Heaven when I was out for lunch with friends and came home and thought it looked like the perfect book to suit my mood. It was so perfect that I ended up reading two more books by her that I have had on my shelf for ages.

I actually have glommed another author this weekend (in July!) - this time contemporary romance author Shannon Stacey. Now I need to go and read the books that I should have been reading!