Those of you who follow my Instagram or Facebook feeds know that I’m currently working on a new project. It’s a bit of a departure from my previous works (don’t worry, I’ll get back to Riley and her friends soon!), and to help me get into the right frame of mind I’ve been reading. A lot.

Up until recently, it had been a while since I’d allowed myself the time to sit down with a good book and lose myself in the worlds other authors lovingly created. I have the amazingly talented fellow author Hailey Edwards to thank for turning me onto Sarah J. Maas. Holy cow does this woman know how to write a compelling tale! I started off with the A Court of Thornes and Roses series (book 3 is coming out in May – I can’t wait!), and once I had devoured both of the books currently available in that series, I switched to her Throne of Glass series. Damn. Just damn. The series sucked me in—and Mr. Awesome Sauce, too. It can be a bit dark at times though, which was a bit of an adjustment after the often lighthearted and sarcastic urban fantasy books I normally read.

 

 To help break things up a little (and let Mr. Awesome get a book or two ahead of me) I decided to read Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike. I’ll admit I picked up the book purely based on the awesome cover art—a testament to the importance of hiring a good cover designer. I’ve long been a fan of Sir Terry Pratchett after my eldest brother introduced me to him over a decade ago. Orconomics is so reminiscent of Pratchett’s magical, satirical, tongue-in-cheek writing, that delving into that world was like greeting an old friend. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me snort. I don’t know when the next book in the Profit Saga is due to come out, but you can be certain that I’ll be picking up a copy!

 

Another lighthearted series that I recently delved into is the Innkeeper Series by the amazing husband and wife team of Ilona Andrews. Mr. Awesome Sauce and I have been reading their Kate Daniels books for years, and always enjoy the rich world and cast of characters that they weave. This new series is no different, and we both instantly fell in love with Dina Demille and her friends.

I also recently signed up for Owlcrate (a monthly YA subscription, for those who aren’t familiar with it). I haven’t had a chance to crack open the book from the January box—Rose Blood by A.G. Howard—, but I did enjoy reading Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst.

I’ll have more news on my latest project soon, including some amazing cover art by the super talented Giselle Ukardi, so stay tuned!

Stay cool ghouls & boys,