One of the main points of summer is relaxation, vacation and letting the winter blues float away on waves of summer sun and fun. For me, summer forces a choice between reading new books and/or re-reading some of my favorite books. I can never choose between the two so I do both. I read a new book then to almost do a sort of cleansing I re-read a book that I have read many times already. The upside to doing this is you get the excitement of the new book/author but also get to be re-acquainted with previous enjoyable stories.
Choosing what to re-read is one of the biggest challenges. Sometimes for me it’s just a matter of what kind of mood I am in. But, for the most part there are certain books I tend to gravitate to when I need to read something that feels like new each time but I have the comfort of knowing what is going to happen and know the characters like they are old friends. One of the many upsides of the summer re-read is that you don’t have to go in series order. If your favorite book is not the first one it is not necessary to re-read all of them to get to your favorite. It’s the summer go crazy and start in the middle. This was a hard list to come up with because I have a lot of books that I could put in this category. But, I figured I would pick some lesser known authors to include in the list to introduce to a wider audience. Plus, they are really good and should get noticed!
10. Juliet by Anne Fortier-This is a unique twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I enjoy the jumping from the past to present and connections between the past characters and the present ones. Plus, who doesn’t like a good Romeo and Juliet type of story.
9. The Mating by Nicky Charles-This is one of the best free books I have ever come across. The author publishes her own books so you have to take some of the editing with a grain of salt and just focus on the writing. She reinvents the idea of werewolves and make it seem very believable.
8. Lover Reborn (Black dagger Brotherhood #10) by J.R Ward-This is the 10th book in the Blackdagger Brotherhood Series. This book focuses on Tohrment and No’One/Autumn. I feel the need to re-read this one because I read it so fast the first time through I don’t think I got everything I wanted and needed. Plus, for those BDB fans out there…I need my Qhuinn and Blay fix.
7. Darkfever (Fever Series #1) by Karen Marie Moning-We meet MacKayla Lane from Ga in this first book in the Fever Series. You quickly fall for her as she discover’s who she is and why she is being hunted. All the while she is searching for the killer of her sister. But for those familiar with the Fever Series all I really have to say about this is…BARRONS!!!
6. Marked (Eternal Guardians #1) by Elisabeth Naughton-Marked is the first in Elisabeth Naughton’s Eternal Guardians series. You are introduced to the Guardians, but this book focuses on their leader Theron. If you like Greek mythology with a twist you will like this series. The story is fast paced and an excellent beginning to a wonderful series.
5. The Naked Viscount by Sally Mackenzie-This is definitely my favorite in Sally Mackenzie’s Naked Series. You won’t find two better Characters than Jane and Edmund. She is headstrong and he just doesn’t know what hits him when she does. It’s a really fun Regency romance.
4. A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare-I really like all of Lydia Dare’s books. This is the first in her series with the Westfield brothers. Once you meet them you will be coming back for more. Simon is brutish and Lily doesn’t put up with his act. All the while you throw in some paranormal (werewolves) and its a unique Regency Paranormal Romance. Not many of those out there!
3. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey-If you like Carly Philips’ books you will like Shannon Stacey. There writing is similar and very cute. This is a nice fresh read especially between books. Her characters are funny and very relatable which helps the story move very fast. I would recommend all of her books, but this one in particular is my favorite.
2. Shadow Bound by Erin Kellison-This book has to be my all-time favorite book that I found for free. It is definitely a different take on Death (Grim Reaper) and the idea that he falls in love and has a child. This story is about the child and the powers she has. The characters are well-formed and the story is very well thought out leading us to believe there is a continuing story. Adam and Talia are unforgettable characters that will leave you wanting more or to just go back and read about them all over again.
1. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness-Not much more I can say about Matthew and Diana that I haven’t already said in my book review. There story is epic and since there continuation in Shadow of Night is coming out I have to re-acquaint myself with all the nuances of the story so they are fresh for the next one.
If any of these books interest you I would suggest going over to Amazon or Barnes and Noble to see the actual overviews of that book. Also, if you haven’t read the series I wouldn’t always suggest jumping into the middle. It could be confusing and possibly turn you off of a good series.
For more information about any of these books, series or authors please go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local retail book seller. You may also ask me if you have any specific questions. Happy Reading!!