Discussions Archives - Page 37 of 69

New To Me Authors I Read in 2018 | Part 2

Feb 22, 2019

A few weeks ago, I shared some of the authors that were new to me in 2018. Today I am continuing the series and sharing some more of these authors. From the authors of contemporary to fantasy, I always try and read new authors every year. So today I thought I would share all the new to me authors that I read last year.

Some of these authors, I have fallen in love with and cannot wait to read more from them, some I will probably never read again and some, well I am still on the fence about. Anyway, like always these are in no particular order.

Devney Perry: The Birthday List was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed The Birthday List, it was an emotional read by far. There were so many times that I just crying, but it was also really beautiful. I loved that the romance was slow burning and just worked so well. My full review will be up soon. I just noticed that there is going to be a second book in this series, so will need to pick it up in June.

Natasha Preston: Lie to Me explores the notion of what it’s like to be family and shows that blood isn’t everything. another romance that I really enjoyed and while it was much more fast-paced, it still was really beautiful. The protagonists are very different from one another, but they seem to balance each other nicely. My full review will be up very soon. Natasha does have quite a range of books, but I don’t know if I will pick them up any time soon.

Theresa Meyers: This is another one of those that I knew nothing about when I picked up her book The Switched Baby Scandal. And it didn’t really pay off this time. For the most part, the book was okayish. But I just didn’t get anything that really grabbed my attention with the romance and the storyline. Normally, I am pretty good with kids in books and that wasn’t the problem here either. I might pick up books by Theresa Meyers in the future, but not for now.

A.K. Evans: This author is not for me. Not at all. I didn’t like most of the book and it just wasn’t something that I even enjoyed. I am most likely not picking anything up by her again.

Drew Elyse: After reading Marked by Drew, I ended up picking up her Savage Disciples MC series as well. While they aren’t the best books out there, they were really fun, emotional and intense romances books that also included a little suspense, crime and a motorcycle club. I cannot wait to read more from Drew and in the MC world that she created. You can check out my reviews of Marked and Inked now.

A.M. Salinger: The thing with reading romance or anything really, is that something you just don’t like the books you are reading. And I just didn’t like this one at all.

Erin Hayes: Another author that isn’t for me. I had really bad luck with picking up new authors for a while and this just added to it.

Maya Banks: This has to be one of my favourite new to me authors of 2018. I had heard of Maya Banks before, but I never really picked her up. Then last year I was in the mood for some military stories and I found her KGI series – and fell in love. I ended up binging the series and then buying them all in physically because I loved them so much. And yes I read all 11 books in this series last year and I cannot wait to read more!

Heather Demetrios: I’ll Meet You There had been on my TBR for years, and I really wanted to like this. It had all the right elements for books that I just enjoy. A summer romance, a different setting, and disability diversity. But gosh it fell so short. I might pick up something from her again in the future, but not any time soon.

Madeline Miller: The Song of Achilles had to be one of my favourite books from last year. I adored it x10. It had everything that I love to see in a novel and I can’t wait to read more from her. One of my favourite things about Madeline Miller is her writing. It’s poetic, captivating and is still able to tell the story in a way that is easily understandable.

And that is it for this post. I think I have 1 more of these coming your way in a couple of weeks. Have you read anything by these authors? What did you think of them? Are you planning on giving any a go? Let’s Chat!

Hidden Gems You Need To Read

Feb 17, 2019

Today I thought I would share some of the books that I think need a little more love. I’ve been thinking recently about all the books that I love that just not many people know about.

So for this, I went to my Goodreads and sorted my ‘read’ books by the number of ratings they have. From there I went back and choose books with less than 1000 ratings. For perspective, the most reviewed book that I have read has 5,631,827 ratings. I tried it mix up some of the ones that I have chosen here, but I am not going to lie, a lot of them are romance books. I also tried to make sure that the books I’ve chosen have been published.

Anyway here we go, like always these are in no particular order.

Circus Hearts Series by Ellie Marney: You should know by now how much I love Ellie’s work. They are books that I am always recommending. So when I saw her new series on my list, I knew I needed to include it. A mix of crime, romance and set at a circus this series is a must read. The protagonists and characters of each book are amazing and grab me every time. You never know what is coming next either and that is what makes it fantastic.

This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton: I was totally taken away when I first read this one. I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did. But let me tell you. I finished it in a couple of hours. It was fun, addicting and put a smile on my face. It explores the notions of finding yourself, loving what you do and finding those who will stand by you. It’s about family, friendship and those you love | Full Review.

Inked (Sailor’s Grave #2) by Drew Elyse: If you didn’t you know already I love tattoos so that immediately caught my eye with this series. Inked is an intriguing, suspenseful story that keeps the reader hooked from the start. The romance between Jess and Braden is full of chemistry and adds so much to the book. I loved how much the MC had a part in this one and I adored that they cared so much about Jess, she is family. Inked explores the notion of falling in love, hurt and learning to trust others. If you love an intense plot, addicting romance, and a great world. If you are looking for a new romance read, then this is for you.

Taking the Ice (Ice #3) by Jennifer Comeaux: Now I really enjoy this whole series, but this one here has to be my favourite. It’s a fun, emotional series that includes figure skating! It’s all about believing in yourself, the ones you love and letting go. The characters are intense but amazing and I love reading anything by Jennifer Comeaux.

Who’s Afraid? (Tommi Grayson #1) by Maria Lewis: If you are looking for a new urban fantasy that is totally different from anything that you’ve read before – then pick this up. With a fantastic, rich protagonist that has been and goes through a hell of a lot. It’s fierce, captivating and addicting. Who’s Afraid is not for the faint-hearted, it’s gruesome and there are deaths all over the place, but it’s an enthralling urban fantasy novel that takes you on a flight of the supernatural, death and romance. This is a hidden gem for sure

Game On (Lewis Creek #2) by Michelle Smith: If you love sports romances, then pick this book up. This hidden gem is a fantastic dual pov narrative that has a slow burn, friends to more romance that literally torn at my heart. In this small town nothing can stay a secret long, so you know things are bound to happen.

Point of Origin (Legacy 0.5) by Rebecca Yarros: I adored this series by Rebecca Yarros. If you want some hot firefighters that have romances that like to tear you into little pieces then pick this book up. They may only be novella’s but they sure like to pack a punch. I’ve loved pretty much anything that Rebecca Yarros writes, so if you want to read anything from you – then do.

The Love That I Have by James Moloney: The Love That I Have is a very confronting novel, it explores a different side of WWII that we don’t let see a lot. And I really enjoy it. But gosh this novel is brutal. Told through the letters and lift of Morgot Braumann and Dieter Kleinschmidt the story of life at Sachsenhausen concentration camp and WWII are told.

Frankie by Shivaun Plozza: This brilliant debut novel for Shivaun Plozza that captured my heart. It’s a story of heartbreak, belonging, finding yourself and what it is to be a family. It captures Melbourne as Melbourne from the language to the setting, it brings to light that sometimes when you think that you are alone, you are not alone and all that you need to do is let them in. Frankie by Shivaun Plozza is a must read.

The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub: An enchanting novel, you will be torn apart and put together over and over again. The Yearbook Committee follows five very different students as they come together to complete the yearbook for the end of year 12. This book is full of friendships, breakdowns, romance, family and everything else. It is such an intense book, that I could not put it down.

And that is it for this post! I have loved every one of them and they totally deserve more love. A fair few of these are #LoveOzYA and that is upsetting. I love my books by Australian authors and I want more people to them too. Have you read any of these? Are you planning on to? What did you think? Let’s Chat!

New To Me Authors I Read in 2018 | Part 1

Feb 10, 2019

In 2018, I read a whole heap of new to me authors. From the authors of contemporary to fantasy, I always try and read new authors every year. So today I thought I would share all the new to me authors that I read last year. I also decided to break this post up, I read a lot of new authors last year and I didn’t want to bore you with a list that goes on and on.

C.L. Taylor: I read The Treatment at the start of 2018. And while it wasn’t my favourite thriller out there, I overall enjoyed it. This was C.L Taylor’s first YA book and if she does write more YA, I might pick it up. But at the moment, it’s not high on my list. You can check out my full review of The Treatment now.

J.R Ward: Now I’ve heard a lot of J.R Ward before I even picked her up. She has been around for quite some time. And since starting my job at my bookstore, I’ve had customers recommend her books more and more. So I decided to pick her up. And you know what I really enjoyed the series. While there have been books in the Blackdagger Brotherhood that I’ve loved more than others, overall I really enjoyed the world and characters. This is one new to me, author, I can’t wait to read more of.

Sara Barnard: In 2018, I picked up Goodbye, Perfect. While it wasn’t my favourite book out there, it won’t stop me from picking up other books by Sara Barnard. I really enjoyed her writing and the way that she dealt with certain themes throughout the novel. So it will be nice to see how she deals with other themes.

Robin Constantine: I wanted to read The Season of You and Me for years before I picked it up last year – and let me tell you I regret waiting so long. I adored the book so much, the romance was fantastic, the plot was gripping and I loved that it was disability focused without making it heartbreaking all the way through. It’s a fantastic coming of age novel that explores disability, love and being okay with who you are. You can check out my full review now.

Katie McCoy: I picked Royal Player (All-Stars, #1) up on a whim, I am pretty sure it was either free or $0.99 on Amazon. But it was a sports romance so I couldn’t say no. I didn’t particularly like this one, but I didn’t hate it either. In saying that, it doesn’t mean I won’t read the rest of the series, just not anytime soon. This is going to be my, I don’t know what to read next read.

Lisa B. Kamps: I just wanted to read more ice hockey romances when I picked this one up. I really didn’t like it, I hated it really. But you win some you lose some. There is a very high chance I won’t be reading anything from this author again.

Dhonielle Clayton: While I didn’t love The Belles, it’s a series that I will continue reading. The world that Dhonielle Clayton created here was very intriguing and I really can’t wait to see where it goes. It’s different and totally something that I can see myself loving more.

Selina Coffey: I was in the mood for some werewolf/shapeshifter books when I picked Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers #1) up. And that was a mistake. I hated it so much. It just wasn’t my cup of tea at all. I picked up book 2, in this series as I got the bind up ebook, but it wasn’t any better. I probably won’t be reading any more from this author again.

Elle Boon: I heard this name up quite a bit when looking for some new romance authors to read – and I was disappointed. Again it was another werewolf book, cause I was really in the mood for it just wasn’t for me at all.

And that is it for this post. What are some of the authors that you read books from that were new to you last year? Did you enjoy the book? Will you be reading from that author again? Let’s Chat!