No matter how busy I am, I manage to fit in time to read. Whether it’s two minutes while I wait for my tea to heat up, or an entire afternoon on the deck with a thrilling novel, I make the most of the time.
By reading.
Today I’ll share with you the ones that made me stretch two minutes to five, then fifty. Four novels and one book on writing. Here goes!
And, by the way, some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy the book. You pay the same exact price. Doesn’t make me a lot of money, but it helps to cover the costs of this blog.
The Devil’s Dance
I’ve been following Kristen Lamb’s blog for years, and was thrilled when she finally released her novel, The Devil’s Dance
She had me hooked from the start with the plight of Romi, whose fiancé skipped with half a billion dollars (including Romi’s life savings). The company they had worked for folded, Romi was out of a job, and the prime suspect.
Unable to find employment anywhere, Romi was forced to return to her family home, a decrepit trailer park. Her certifiably crazy family doesn’t make life any easier.
She divides her time between trying to convince the FBI agent on her tail that she’s innocent, and figuring out why people keep turning up dead.
Entertaining, irreverent, sheer brilliant story telling, all done up in Kristen Lamb’s inimitable style. What else can I say?
It was well worth the wait.
The Emperor’s Edge
I’ve been a fan Lindsay Buroker’s novels for a while, but it took me awhile to getting around to The Emperor’s Edge
I can’t improve on the description:
“Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed.”
This novel is a great example of a killer concept, complex plot, and engrossing story telling. I’ve got the rest of the series on my to-read list.
The Book of Deacon
I’d never read any of Joseph Lallo’s work before, but this is one author I’m going to keep my eye on. The Book of Deacon
She was orphaned by a war that has waged for decades, and has been shunned because she refuses to support it. Then by chance she finds the fallen body of a soldier, and the priceless treasure he had carried. She had no idea that her discovery would change her life drastically and profoundly.
Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen
Taking a break from fantasy, I tried Alison Weir’s historical novel about Henry VIII’s first wife, Katherine. Unlike many other novels about Henry’s wives, Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen: A Novel (Six Tudor Queens)
The beautiful and accurate details give a sense of time and place, so much that I felt I was there. I could feel the drafty damp castle of Katherine’s later years, I sensed her agony over the destruction of her marriage and separation from her daughter.
Everybody Writes
Ann Handley has written a fabulous resource for business writers, but really for anyone with her outstanding Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
Not only does she cover the basics of writing and grammar, but she delves into what makes for good content. She also provides best practices for creating such diverse forms of content as blog posts, annual reports, and tweets.
Anyone who is writing for any business purpose will benefit from having read this book.