mermaids

Recent Reads: February 2016

/ saraletourneau / 14 Comments

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Recent Reads is a monthly reading wrap-up, with mini-reviews of all the books I finished in the past month. I’ll also share what I’m currently reading and any other books that are in the pipeline. Want to share your bookish happenings, too? Feel free to do so in the Comments section at the end!

Well, February was an… interesting month of reading. It was super-productive (I finished six books – wow!); but out of those six, I enjoyed two, thought two more were OK, and was too disappointed by the other two to review them. :/ But when you do “market research” projects on certain kinds of novels, you’re bound to read stories that don’t appeal to you as much.

Thankfully the month ended on an upswing, because my Read of the Month was the most recent book I finished. You’ll find out which one it is shortly!

Also, a good chunk of the following books (minus the Read of the Month) focused on romance. Coincidence? Hmmmm….
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Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 23: Mermaids, Fairies, and Magic Galore

/ saraletourneau / 35 Comments

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Stacking The Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga’s Reviews that shares the books (both physical and virtual) that you recently purchased, borrowed from a fellow reader or the library, won from a giveaway, or received as gifts. Stacking The Shelves will post on Saturdays as new books are added to my shelves.

I bet I know what some of you might be thinking: “Huh? She bought MORE books?? Especially after that big haul a few weeks ago?!”

Yep. My bedroom will look like this pretty soon!

Yep. My bedroom will look like this pretty soon!

I know. (*blushes*) But this new haul is relatively small; and as I’d said in January, my reading priorities for 2016 are newly published books and any novels that will help with my two “market research” projects. With that in mind, here are the latest additions to my (still overstuffed) shelves.

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Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 20: Cheers for Bookmail!

/ saraletourneau / 33 Comments

Stacking The Shelves banner

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga’s Reviews that shares the books (both physical and virtual) that you recently purchased, borrowed from a fellow reader or the library, won from a giveaway, or received as gifts. Stacking The Shelves will post on Saturdays as new books are added to my shelves.

After some big hauls from Writer’s Digest Conference and the Boston Teen Author Festival, and with Christmas not too far away, I haven’t felt the need to buy books lately.  But thanks to two giveaway wins, a pre-order, and a book I’ve been so eager to read that I needed it ASAP, I’ve got some new goodies to share with you! And really, what book lover doesn’t love bookmail? 🙂

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Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 7: The Lucky Number Seven

/ saraletourneau / 24 Comments

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Stacking The Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga’s Reviews that shares the books (both physical and virtual) that you recently purchased, borrowed from a fellow reader or the library, won from a giveaway, or received as gifts. Stacking The Shelves will post on Saturdays as new books are added to my shelves. 

First of all, a quick apology for the recent inactivity here.  Life offline has been hectic lately, so I’ve had to re-prioritize things to focus on the WIP, a couple outside articles that have deadlines, and necessary relaxation. Posts for this blog have slipped as a result. I hope to catch up over the next couple weeks, so bear with me for a little bit.

Now – more books. Yes, I’ve gotten heaps of books for Christmas and from Barnes & Noble recently, but certain titles I was looking for at B&N weren’t in stock. *gasps* So, I promptly decided not to wait to get them. *lol* Today’s Stacking The Shelves therefore includes my latest Amazon haul, as well as a book gifted by its author. And if you noticed the title, this blog’s seventh edition of STS will feature seven books! How about that? Continue reading →

Looking for Recommendations for Fantasy Novels

/ saraletourneau / 15 Comments

Recently I posted two book recommendation requests at Goodreads. (Consider them part of my “market research” as a fantasy novelist. *wink*) I’ve gotten a few responses so far, but I thought I’d expand those requests to the blog. Feel free to post your suggestions in the Comments below or respond directly to the requests at Goodreads.

  1. Fairies in Fantasy Novels: I’m looking for fantasy novels (YA through adult) that feature fairy characters. The protagonist for my current WIP (YA fantasy) and some of her companions are Faeries, and I want to make sure my story offers something different compared to others that have been published. The only fairy book I remember reading is Jennifer Armintrout’s Queene of Light (which is part of a trilogy I’m not interested in continuing, since I didn’t care for Queene of Light).

Recommendations So Far: Holly Black’s Tithe, Laini Taylor’s Blackbringer, Herbie Brennan’s Faerie Wars, and Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely

  1. Mermaids in YA Fantasy Novels: I’m also looking for YA fantasy novels featuring mermaids, specifically a female mermaid as the protagonist. I have ideas for a future novel like this, but I want to check out the market so I know how I can set mine apart from what’s already out there.

Recommendations So Far: Kathryn Lasky’s Hannah

Thanks very much in advance! 🙂