What's On Your Summer Reading List?

I totally forgot about my Sunday ROW80 check-in yesterday. Oh well... It happens. Instead of doing what I was supposed to do, I decided to finally have a weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather. My best friend came over for some girl time by the pool. Thankfully, in-between margarita's and paloma's (tequila with Fresca), we discussed the storyline for PARADOX...boy did she point out some major flaws! So, today, I gotta go back and edit some stuff. So, in a way, I ended up being productive after all.

On Friday, I went to a meeting for my local authors writing group, Write by the Rails. We have a lot of plans for the year, including an anthology, book signings, workshops... so I'm pretty psyched about what lies ahead for our group.

And don't forget that summer is now upon us, which means summer reading lists! Here are a few that I've read these past couple of weeks.

A few weeks ago, I was given an ARC for Blake Crouch's new book, EERIE. If you follow my blog, you'll know that he's one of my favorite writers out there. I jumped at the chance to read his new book that he co-wrote with his brother Jordan.

I also love horror books, so EERIE was right up my alley. The premise behind the book is a good ol' fashioned ghost story, or at least, it started out that way. It's a definite "why are these things happing" kind of book. No sooner did I start to read it, I was hooked. But I do warn you, if you're afraid of the boogie man, I'd read this one during the day, outside, away from any bedrooms.

Blake and Jordan do a fantastic job of appealing to a reader's emotions through their storytelling. Again, this is why I love horror so much... the adrenaline induced fear goes beyond the written page. I had my moments of "do I really want to finish this?" which ultimately passed as I kept reading and now I'm stuck with the notion that they could have added more, especially towards the end, because really, I didn't want the story to end.

I picked RIPPLER, by Cidney Swanson, during a free promo on Amazon. I had seen great reviews about the series, so I figured, "why not?" I'm glad I did, as RIPPLER was an engaging read. Yes, it's YA paranormal, but it was different somehow. No love triangles, no tired formula, and the female protagonist in the book wasn't flakey or wimpy. After reading the first in the series, I've now decided that if I ever had the change to have a superpower, it'd be invisibility. That's what Samantha Ruiz has...the ability to turn invisible, or ripple. I also loved, what I like to call the extras...the diary entries of a mad Nazi scientist and the general science/genetics explanations. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Bombshells, by T. Elliott Brown, was another gem I picked up during a free Amazon promo. I surprised myself at how much I enjoyed it. Set in the early 1960's, we are given a glimpse into the life of three women in Jacksonville, FL, during the height of the Cuban missile crisis and their perspectives on life. It was told in first person from each of the main characters (a twelve year old, her mother, and their maid). While I loved each and every character, I have to say Flossie was my favorite (she needs her own book)! This is a definite must read for the summer and I believe it's currently priced at $2.99...totally worth it!