Discussion of HR and other books. And recs. Showing 601-650 of 3,299

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I have just checked my book shelf and I also have books 6, 9, and 11 of the Malloren series. 😂. Do these books need to be read in order?

[Roberta2]

Anyone read a new Christmas novella that was good?

[Carol]

I'll keep trying. The Man Who Killed Santa Claus: A Love Story. Not new, but I'm sure no one here has read it. KU or 2.99.

[OLT]

Roberta2 wrote: "Anyone read a new Christmas novella that was good?"

A Christmas Spark. Takes place in 1800s USA. Now I'm reading Jayne Fresina's new one, which is a novel: The Snow Birds. Hazard Deverell, another of True's grandsons, is the hero. I'm liking the story but so far not quite as much as her Snow Angel or Snowdrop.

[Roberta2]

Thanks, OLT. I need a break from worrying about the state of our country.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

OLT wrote: "Roberta2 wrote: "Anyone read a new Christmas novella that was good?"

A Christmas Spark. Takes place in 1800s USA. Now I'm reading Jayne Fresina's new one, which is a novel: [book:T..."

I pre-ordered that one, am looking forward to reading it. Right now I am re-reading another urban fantasy series by one of my favorite authors.

[HR-ML]

12/22/21

Hi All-

I appreciate all who post here! You have many choices for book forums and book
threads. But you check in here. You've made great book recs & have steered us
away from books which may waste our time & funds. You've shown us humor, compassion and wisdom. We have discussed nearly every topic, including flooring!

Thanks for being our friends as we navigate a sometimes crazy world.

Please be safe in 2022. Best wishes-Cheryl (my real name).

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Nice post ML . 👍👏
This is a very nice friendly group, I like reading all post.
Take care , hope you all have a merry Christmas 🎄🥳
Shaz

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Sorry Cheryl , got your letter wrong HR.🙄 could be my old age showing 😂

[HR-ML]

Shaz----

I agree folks here are friendly. And I've enjoyed getting to know folks from all over.

Word finding difficulty in my old age drives my hubs up a wall. But he does it too. LOL. And he's a better speller.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Wishing all of you a joyous season, in any way you choose to celebrate. I hope 2022 is better than 2021. Praying for that miracle.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

I just finished reading The Snow Birds. :happy sigh: I needed that.

The Snow Birds

Love this description: "she had the face of a disappointed angel"

[HR-ML]

HBW2020---

Sounded good so I bought it. Thanks!

[HappyBookWorm2020]

HR-ML wrote: "HBW2020---

Sounded good so I bought it. Thanks!"

I hope you like it. It's a little confusing at first but stick with it. It will all be clear at the end.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Looking in to wave hello, hope you all had a good holiday.

I just finished a re-read of one of the New Zealand books by Rosalind James. :sigh: A little too much description of intimate scenes for me. I'm not prudish but I like romance rather than erotica. Her earlier books in the series weren't as descriptive.

[HR-ML]

HBW2020---

Some sex scenes are so unrealistic & too frequent I just skip them. Once a woman
finds a man w/ a magic wand, they spend all their time in bed, on a desk, against
a wall, outside after a picnic etc.

I'm reading non-fiction on the first lady physician in US. She was one tough lady. Her younger sis became a doc a few years later. Some male docs feared their credentials would mean less if they trained/ or worked with a female doc. Some thought she should only work toward ob-gyn specialty.

[Carol]

HR-ML wrote: "HBW2020---

Some sex scenes are so unrealistic & too frequent I just skip them. Once a woman
finds a man w/ a magic wand, they spend all their time in bed, on a desk, against
a wall, outside afte..."

I agree about the sex scenes, but that seems to be what the romance readers want now. I just want romance.

[OLT]

Speaking of Christmas romances, did we ever discuss The Girl is Not for Christmas? Danker and I read it last December and found it very enjoyable. Rake and wholesome girl romance, but the rake is an actual alcoholic at the beginning. He is found in London almost dying of alcohol poisoning by an old school mate and is brought to the mate's village home to recover. A home with the school mate (who's in dire straits financially), his wife and passel of children and his overwhelmed sister, who takes care of everybody and keeps the household functioning and now has to take care of a recovering alcoholic also. I may not be making this sound very appealing, but it is a lovely, fun, homey romance. I usually don't like children in my romances, but these here are great.

[Carol]

OLT wrote: "Speaking of Christmas romances, did we ever discuss The Girl is Not for Christmas? Danker and I read it last December and found it very enjoyable. Rake and wholesome girl romance, b..."

Gave it 4 stars. It's KU right now.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I agree with HR about sex scene. I also skip through them at times . I sometimes think they put more in just to fill in their page quantities

[OLT]

Is it the younger romance readers who want all that detailed sex in the books? There has to be a big market for it, surely. I've read reviews for books here that complain if there aren't enough sexual encounters and if they aren't "hawt" enough. I'm with the majority of you here and prefer to watch the love develop. And if there are sexual encounters, why do we need ten pages describing what they are doing? Isn't it enough to just let us know that the "earth moved" appropriately?

[BJ]

I find detailed s*x scenes rather boring - I want the build up to their attraction, sometimes physical and sometimes undefined. I loved how an author described a woman walking bare foot, and the H notices her toes...it was the first step in his unwilling attraction - he was committed to marrying her 'cousin"? I like delicious angst when he/she cannot commit to the one they want.

[HR-ML]

BJ----

I think the emotional connection is what MCs crave. I don't
like a book w/ too many sex scenes. And can almost picture
an editor telling the author: you need 2 more sex scenes.

I agree w/ you on the build up. But some sex scenes defy
logic: the MCs had a baddie chasing them or the hero was
just wounded. Or the French lady was a double agent, and the
French finally figured out what she did: so she seduced the
hero in a graveyard. Laughable.

[Carol]

Betty White died! Nice lady.

[HR-ML]

Sorry to hear about funny/ smart Betty!

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Happy New Year to you all. Here hoping this one gets better 🍾🥂🥳

[HR-ML]

Shaz & all!

Likewise a safe and healthy New Year for All!

[Carol]

Wishing all a happy and "healthy" new year.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Carol wrote: "OLT wrote: "Speaking of Christmas romances, did we ever discuss The Girl is Not for Christmas? Danker and I read it last December and found it very enjoyable. Rake and wholesome gir..."

Carol and OLT, I'll go look at that one.

To everyone, hope you all have a happy and safe New Year.

[Roberta2]

I read The Girl is Not for Christmas last year and liked it so much I reread it this year.

[Roberta2]

I agree that when there are pages of sex scenes, it becomes boring. If there are pages and pages, I usually just jump ahead.

[Roberta2]

Happy New Year to everyone and hoping 2022 is a much better year.

[Carol]

I just finished In Unfair War with Love, My Marquess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel. I can't believe it had so mant 4 and 5 star ratings. I guess it mwas kind of entertaining, but one really had to suspend any thought of reality. No sex though. Not much angst either.

[OLT]

I generally try to avoid romances that have long titles with a colon in them.

[Carol]

OLT wrote: "I generally try to avoid romances that have long titles with a colon in them."

I'll keep that in mind.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

I tend to keep with writers I know unless their book is recommended by people whose judgment I trust.

[BJ]

OLT wrote: "I generally try to avoid romances that have long titles with a colon in them."
I avoid them too - think it links to my dislike of Telling.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

BJ wrote: "OLT wrote: "I generally try to avoid romances that have long titles with a colon in them."
I avoid them too - think it links to my dislike of Telling."

Ditto.

[Carol]

Geez, I didn't think it was bad, just that the events were a little farfetched and I don't expect that in my HR's. It was readable and better than many.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I am starting a buddy read later today. Wicked Wyclerly by Patricia Rice.

[HR-ML]

This Girl is Not for Christmas.
70% in and enjoying this. The H made a genuine change.

[Carol]

HR-ML wrote: "This Girl is Not for Christmas.
70% in and enjoying this. The H made a genuine change."

I really like A Christmas Spark, too. I was disappointed that it was only a novella. Loved both the H and h. Maybe the author will make it into a full novel. It's KU or .99.

[Roberta2]

We got our son a kindle for Christmas. I am hoping it will encourage him to read a bit more. He likes to read, but he loves gaming more.

[OLT]

Roberta2 wrote: "I read The Girl is Not for Christmas last year and liked it so much I reread it this year."

I did a reread also and liked it as well as the first time. Also reread Fresina's two previous Christmas stories, after I finished her new one.

[Carol]

Roberta2 wrote: "We got our son a kindle for Christmas. I am hoping it will encourage him to read a bit more. He likes to read, but he loves gaming more."

I read a great book that I think kids would like. It's explanations of icky things, which most kids love. I can't remember the name of it. I looked through my books last night but got tired before I found it. I'll look again.

I found it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...

I must have picked it up as a KU because I don't have it in my collection. Something is odd about how it's being sold now.

[Roberta2]

Carol, Our son is 33 years old and is home for the holidays. He has been a gamer since he was eight. He does love to read. The last book I recommended to him was Station Eleven, and he really liked it. But others here might have grandchildren or children who would like that book.

[HR-ML]

Roberta2----

Hope your son enjoys his Kindle. So many books to choose from!

[HappyBookWorm2020]

HR-ML wrote: "This Girl is Not for Christmas.
70% in and enjoying this. The H made a genuine change."

Can you post a link to the book? I couldn't find it on Amazon.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

I read a short story by Rainbow Rowell today .... eh. It was about people during Covid. The young woman who was the main character was terrified of getting the illness, to the point that she was terrified of being around people, even outside. Then she met this young man, and next thing you knew, they had dropped their masks and were kissing.

It made me feel claustrophobic. Maybe I'd appreciate it better if we weren't still in the suds.

If the Fates Allow: A Short Story

[HappyBookWorm2020]

To counter that one, I read a short story by Jodi Taylor, one of her St Mary's stories. That whole series is a lot of fun, but better enjoyed when you don't read book after book. It is a long series with spinoffs. It doesn't take itself too seriously.

"Jodi Taylor is the author of the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary’s series, the story of a bunch of disaster-prone historians who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel!"

I read this one: The Toast of Time

In another book, a group of historians were chosen to visit the great library of Alexandria to remove some documents just before it burned. Only, oops, they either set the fire accidentally or they got there when it was burning and had a time trying to get those documents.

I think Max, one of the main characters, ended up in the Paleozoic on her first trip.