Top 25 Reads for 2018

2018 was a busy year for reading -- lots of great books, so little time, right?

Although I must admit that this year I was immersed in Susan Mallery's Fools Gold series, as well as Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor and Heartbreaker Bay series --  and I do mean totally immersed.  These two writers can world build like no other!  But for the sake of the Top 25, I am putting Mallery and Shalvis in their own kingdom and let you decide.

Also, please note that I am not driven by the NYT Bestseller List or any other "lists" -- I tend to like to find my writers in a more organic way, mainly by browsing in real brick-and-mortar bookstores and libraries, so some are "newish" and some are older.  If I'm starting a new series, I like to start at the beginning, which means I'm reading past bestsellers.

So, here's my top 25 titles that I heartily recommend to readers (broken down by genre / subgenre):


Regency Romance:

Sherry Thomas, His at Night
Tessa Dare, The Dutchess Deal
Suzanne Enoch, The Care and Taming of a Rogue
S. Enoch, The Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior
Grace Burrowes, Douglas
Sally MacKenzie, What Ales the Earl  (no, that's not a misspelling) 


Historical Romance & Mystery  --  Colonial America / American Revolution:

Laura Frantz, The Lacemaker  (gentle)
Donna Thorland, Turncoat
Karen Swee, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Murder (mystery)
Barbara Hamilton, The Ninth Daughter  (mystery)


Contemporary Romance:

Jennifer Crusie, Bet Me
Elisa Lorello, Pasta Wars
Nora Roberts, Inn Boonsboro Trilogy (counts as 3 books)
Vicki Lewis Thompson, The Nerd who Loved Me
Julia Gabriel, Drawing Lessons
Elizabeth Adler, Summer in Tuscany


Other:

Marlena DeBlasi, Thousand Days in Venice (memoir, travel, romance)
M. DeBlasi, Thousand Days in Tuscany


Stay tuned as I begin to post my 2019 "Intentional" Reading List(s) -- good intentions sometimes fall by the wayside, depending on time, health, weather, which side of the bed I woke up on . . . ah, so many variables! 

To sit alone in the lamplight with a book

spread out before you . . . is a pleasure beyond compare.

        ~Kenko Yoshida, Buddhist monk (ca. 13th c.)

Happy New Year!

There's still time!

Peace and Joy to You!

Enjoy a safe and comfy 

Holiday!   Claire

Another Holiday Freebie for You!

Lady Felicity Drummond and Chandler Rhys are hot for each other, but it takes a freak ice storm to bring them together -- but for how long? "Captive for Christmas" is a fun, sensuous Regency (Book #3 in the Merry Widow series) for your pleasure here: https://www.books2read.com/u/3J0ewe

Scents of the Season

Fill your home with the 

scents of the Season!

Peace & Joy

to you --  Claire H.

Life getting hectic?

An easy-peasy gift to give

How many times are we suddenly invited to join a friend during the holiday season and feel that we should have a little giftie for them?  I love making these bookmarks and they're perfect for a friend or co-worker who loves to read!

Here's what you need:

ready-made shipping tags (these are usually pre-punched and come in packs at any craft or office supply store) or heavy cardstock paper

scrapbooking papers 

stamps

inkpads  (a vintage dark brown is good for "aging" the edges)

variety of ribbons and fancy yarns

heavy-duty glue stick

hole punch (if you use cardstock rather than shipping tags)


Process:

Embellish the fancy paper with stamps and any other embellishments you want to apply; then ink the edges if you want a "vintage-y" look;

Trim to fit the shipping tag or cardstock paper;  apply glue stick to the back of the stamped piece and secure to the base tag / cardstock;

Gather up several strands of fancy yarns and ribbons and slip through the hole, securing in the back with a lark knot -- or just a plain knot;  trim to the length you want.

Just to be sure, I usually weigh down the bookmark with something heavy for a few hours to ensure that the glue is set.

Depending on the occasion, I sometimes write a note on the back of the bookmark. 

And that's it!  Bookmarks are the little gifts that keep on giving . . . ;-)