I read 85 books in 2018, which is waaaayy low for me (average is around 150) but in view of the amount of writing I did, unsurprising.
The same thing is happening this year. I have read so little of other peoples' work that I can fit five months in a single post without even squeezing. * denotes a new-to-me book.
January 2019
1. A Princess in Theory* by Alyssa Cole. I like this author a lot. This particular contemporary romance suffered from too much conflict. Like, ALL the conflict.
1.5 Too Clever By Half* by Nancy Yeager. A novella, meaning something quite short, and I still almost stopped reading it about ten times. Way too much 'setting up a series' and not enough 'why should I care.'
February 2019
2. Leverage in Death* by J.D. Robb. A very satisfying thriller.
3. Unmasked* by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Turned me into a superfan, basically. Hugely entertaining and educational.
March 2019
4. Cici and the Curator* by S.J. Wynde. A romp of a space fantasy.
5. Pulse* by Felix Francis. I read all of his collaborations with his father but this one probably shut me down for continuing his solo efforts. Not at all a bad writer, simply not my taste.
6. Proof by Dick Francis. Kindle sale. Apparently Amazon knew I needed some of the real thing. Love this book.
April 2019
7. Justice Hall, by Laurie R. King. Another Kindle sale resulting in more re-reading of a guaranteed good book.
8. Any Old Diamonds* by KJ Charles. AUUUGGH SO GOOD!! Sexy M/M historical romance built around a jewel heist. Painful, profound love story.
9. What The Parrot Saw* by Darlene Marshall. A ripping yarn involving a lady pirate in the Caribbean. Falls apart a bit at the end when the heroine goes into 'I can't ruin your life by marrying you' mode, which is very out of character given that she is loudly Doing What She Wants throughout up to that point (and earlier in the story [redacted] him with a [redacted]).
10. Someone to Trust* by Mary Balogh. Featuring another of her poisonous blondes. A lovely romance actually, a few too many series characters cluttering the corners.
11. Money in the Morgue* by Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy. A 'new' Alleyn mystery set in wartime (WWII) New Zealand. Good tone, plot, pacing, and language. Alleyn characterization inconsistent. Not a waste of time but not up to the original.
12. Miss Buncle's Book* by D.E. Stevenson. OMG I loved this. Thoroughly entertaining story of a small-town lady of little means who writes a book about her fellow villagers, which becomes a bestseller, and genteel mayhem ensues.
May 2019
13. Straight, by Dick Francis. Another sale, another favorite to re-read.
14. The Austen Playbook* by Lucy Parker. Very satisfying showbiz romance with two wholly lovable protagonists and a ton of complications.
15. Uncivil Defense* by M. Ruth Myers. Wartime mystery starring Maggie Sullivan, P.I. Really enjoy this series. Great central character, good plots, terrific period detail and a fun cast of supporting characters.
16. Wanted, a Gentleman* by KJ Charles. Quick-reading and very sexy M/M love story involving two men in pursuit of an eloping young lady and her dastardly swain.
16.5 Unfit to Print* by KJ Charles. A sexy M/M romance novella packed full of plot - this could easily have been a full-length novel - boiling down to the reunion of two school friends, solution of a murder, and joint custody of a fiendish cat.
17. The October Man* by Ben Aaronovitch. New novella in the Rivers of London paranormal mystery series, this one set in Germany with a new protagonist! Very much enjoyed.
18. Crooked House* by Agatha Christie. Very English mystery in which a child is the killer.
19. Band Sinister* by KJ Charles. Another sexy M/M historical romance. I loved this one so much I immediately re-read it.
20. The Tempest* by W. Shakespeare. These plays are not the length of a book but I am giving myself Full Book Credit for reading each one. The language, OMG.