TBR List, Part Two

It’s another free week. I don’t have anything pressing to report, other than my disturbing discovery that the super-healthy salad I fixed for myself Friday night was part of a batch identified as possibly contaminated, and linked to a recent outbreak of listeria. I’m concerned, of course, but there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do but wait it out and hope I don’t get sick. So I’ll write about something else.

Last month I named four books at the top of my 2016 To-Be-Read List. I guess I’ll comment on my progress. Here are the four books I named:

The Case of the Fabulous Fiancé by Diane Burton. I actually finished this on New Year’s Day. This second book in Diane’s new series is just as awesome as the first. I truly hope she continues to write these semi-cozy mysteries! Here’s my review on Goodreads.

Christi Bell by Lori Lapekes. Sadly, I haven’t read this yet. I’ll have to recycle this on my TBR list for February.

Watercolors in the Rain by Kay Springsteen. I’m about three quarters of the way through it, and loving it! The attention to detail is awesome, without bogging down the story. I hope to finish it this week.

Love Overcomes by Angela Schroeder. This was the second book I completed in 2016. This was a lovely romance, and I enjoyed it so much I now have the rest of Angie’s books in my kindle library. Again, my review is on Goodreads.

So I’ve read two (almost three) of the four books I named, but I don’t feel too bad because I also read three other books – on my phone! I’ve had several extended periods of time when I had to sit and wait: in an airport waiting for my daughter’s delayed flight to come in, at the doctor’s office, and at school between classes. If I don’t have papers to grade, I take my phone out and read. Shorter novellas work well here, and I found three that I enjoyed:

Don’t Bet on It by J. L. Salter. What can I say – our resident hound writes awesome romance. He kept me chuckling, too.

Viking for Hire by Jo Grafford. This story is relatively short, but it’s full of surprises. Viking Eirik is strong, but Branwyn is no pushover! I don’t know much about the Vikings, but I learned a lot.

Heart of Mine by Michelle Beattie. This author is new to me, and I honestly don’t remember buying this novella. Perhaps it was a free download. But unlike many freebies, this one was well-written and made me want to read more of her books.

That’s six books read this month, so I’ve got a good start on my 50-book goal for the year! What’s next? Well, I’ve got several lined up:

Of course, I need to finish Watercolors in the Rain and Christi Bell. These will get top priority – but not on my phone. I save that for shorter books. For longer ones I go to the slightly larger screen on my ipad, or my laptop.

Color of Deception by Ruth J. Hartman. Ruth is a fellow author at two of my publishing houses, and this is the first of her new series about artists who paint miniature panoramas. I had to look up the term – I never realized how popular they were! I’ve read the first chapter and it sounds like there’s a bit of intrigue involved, so I’m looking forward to digging in to this story. I’m sure this series will be every bit as popular as Ruth’s Love Birds series, so I’d better read this one quickly, before the next one comes out!

Romancing the Jewel by Katherine Bone. This book has been out for a year and a half, and I can’t believe I haven’t made time for it yet. I’ve read some of Katherine’s historical novels, but I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into this contemporary of hers. With a romantic Italian setting and a handsome wealthy hero – what’s not to love?

Since my semester at the university is in full swing and I have a full teaching load, I’m pretty sure this is plenty for now! But I think putting my reading plan out here is helping me find time to read – and reading is what led me to writing. The more I read, the more I understand my craft, and the more I’m inspired.

What have you read this year?