Recent Book Recommendations, What I’ve Been Up To, & A Teaser From My Current WIP

Happy July, everyone! You’re either freezing your butt off, or you’re sweltering hot, and here in Australia, I love the fact that it’s winter. A perfect excuse to read out in the gentle winter sunshine and curl up in a sweater/in front of the heater at night.

I’ve been in such a huggeee reading slump lately, but oh my gosh, have I read some simply BRILLIANT books in the past weeks that are beginning to tease me from my slump! So, without further ado, here are some of the books I’ve been reading…

THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN by Roshani Chokshi.

Simply amazing. I had to put this book down at several points so I could savor Chokshi’s lovely, heart-rendering prose. A blend of Indian mythology and the Greek tale of Hades & Persephone (which, as you know, is my favorite EVER), it had me enchanted from the beginning pages—literally. I read this book in one sitting; it was that good. Along with the gorgeous romance, I don’t have the words to describe the originality of this book. Read, read, read! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of A CROWN OF WISHES (which has a stunning title and cover. I love it as much as the first.)

THE CHOSEN by J.R. Ward.

I’ve been a fan of this series from book one, and several books later, J.R. Ward has not lost her flair for exceptional romances (that are very steamy, readers beware.) I’ve been waiting for Layla’s story for a long, long time, because heck, she deserves the world. I loved the deeper exploration of the characters and story, and had me hooked from beginning to end, and let’s face it: those Brothers are amazing (except Qhuinn—he deserves a kick up the ass.) I’m so, so looking forward to seeing where J.R. Ward takes the characters next.

 

WINTERSONG by S. Jae-Jones.

Oh, wow. Everything about this book had me spellbound. The writing, the lush world, the romance… It’s a book that’s really, really worth reading. It’s also fitting that it’s the middle of winter, and there was nothing lovelier than sitting curled up by the heater and utterly devouring this book. But more than anything, I felt this book. Lisel was such an incredible, raw character, and I truly felt her in my heart. Her pain, her triumphs, her anger—it was all so fabulously and painstakingly written. I adored the emotion in this book, and I’m really looking forward to finding out where S. Jae-Jones takes the story in SHADOWSONG.

I have SEVERAL amazing-looking books on my TBR—Frostblood, This Savage Song, The Flame in the Mist just to name a few waiting for me—and I can’t wait to dive into them. (So. Many. Good. Books. This. Year.)

Moving on…

If you don’t already know, another one of my passions/hobbies is photography, so when I recently got a new lens (a 35mm), I thought I’d test it out and share some of my favorite shots. (Which I’m super nervous about, because I’m fairly certain I still suck. I’ve put them in a slideshow below, which I’ve never done before…so I’m not 100% sure it works.) And… I love this lens. It’s a lot easier to handle in manual mode than my other lenses, so NO regrets in buying it at all.

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(Aaaaaand, if you’re interested in more of my photography, check out my Instagram!)

As I mentioned in my last post (which you can read here), I told you guys I started working on, or, more accurately, reworking an old MS called THE EMPIRE OF STARS—also known as TEOS as the title can be a little too much to write. So I thought it would be fun to share a teaser. It’s only short, but this comes from the very beginning of the book…which is probably one of my favorite parts. The beginning of a journey that’s very close to my heart.

I’m incredibly excited about this novel for so many reasons…and I hope I get to share the rest of it with you guys one day. ❤

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Currently reading: FROSTBLOOD by Elly Blake

Currently listening to: The Force Awakens OST by John Williams (Chills, guys, chills. Rey’s theme is so breathtaking.)