Tuesday book list: The Xanth series by Piers Anthony

I enjoyed the Xanth series when I first discovered it, and I scoured the second-hand bookshops for copies of the books. One I caught up with the series my mother, who enjoyed the books quite as much as I did, started buying them and giving them to me. I made it up to book # 22 before I got tired of what I felt were increasingly more recycled and insubstantial storylines coupled with puns that got lamer and lamer in each book. Recently I reread the first book in the series and decided that maybe I should reread all of those I own, if only to decide whether to cull them or keep them and, if the latter, decide if it might be worth picking up where I left off.

These are young adult fantasies that take place in the imaginary land of Xanth, which is approximately the same size and shape as the US state of Florida and has certain geographical features in common with it. Each book revolves around a quest and a romance.

1. A Spell for Chameleon (1977) 
2. The Source of Magic (1978) 
3. Castle Roogna (1979) 
4. Centaur Aisle (1981) 
5. Ogre, Ogre (1982) 
6. Night Mare (1982) 
7. Dragon on a Pedestal (1983) 
8. Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn (1984) 
9. Golem in the Gears (1985) 
10. Vale of the Vole (1987) 
11. Heaven Cent (1988) 
12. Man from Mundania (1989) 
13. Isle of View (1990) 
14. Question Quest (1991) 
15. The Color of Her Panties (1992) 
16. Demons Don't Dream (1993) 
17. Harpy Thyme (1993) 
18. Geis of the Gargoyle (1994) 
19. Roc and a Hard Place (1995) 
20. Yon Ill Wind (1996) 
21. Faun and Games (1997) 
22. Zombie Lover (1998) 
23. Xone of Contention (1999) 
24. The Dastard (2000) 
25. Swell Foop (2001) 
26. Up in a Heaval (2002) 
27. Cube Route (2003) 
28. Currant Events (2004) 
29. Pet Peeve (2005) 
30. Stork Naked (2006) 
31. Air Apparent (2007) 
32. Two to the Fifth (2008) 
33. Jumper Cable (2009) 
34. Knot Gneiss (2010) 
35. Well-Tempered Clavicle (2011) 
36. Luck of the Draw (2012)

Tuesday book list: The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward

These urban fantasy paranormal action romances fall into the good trash category and are full of addictive, outrageous dirty fun and mayhem (and sexy vampires). I have read all of them so far.

Warning: Do not expect high literary style.

1. Dark Lover (2005) 
2. Lover Eternal (2006) 
3. Lover Awakened (2006) 
4. Lover Revealed (2007) 
5. Lover Unbound (2007) 
6. Lover Enshrined (2008) 
7. Lover Avenged (2009) 
8. Lover Mine (2010) 
9. Lover Unleashed (2011) 
10. Lover Reborn (2012) 

Upcoming:
11. Lover At Last (2013)

Tuesday book list: The Bar Cynster series by Stephanie Laurens

I have been reading these lately and enjoying how Laurens takes one romance formula after another and forges them into entertaining stories. Those I have read are in bold.

I have got to the point where all the members of the Bar Cynster - 6 male cousins known among the ton of Regency England as fabulously rich and handsome rakes - are happily married. I think the next book is about an honorary member of the Bar Cynster, Lord Chillingworth, who has played the role of minor helper in at least three of the books so far.

1. Devil's Bride (1998)
2. A Rake's Vow (1998)
3. Scandal's Bride (1999)
4. A Rogue's Proposal (1999)
5. A Secret Love (2000)
6. All About Love (2001)
7. All About Passion (2001)
8. The Promise in a Kiss (2001)
9. On a Wild Night (2002)
10. On a Wicked Dawn (2002)
11. The Perfect Lover (2003)
12. The Ideal Bride (2004)
13. The Truth about Love (2005)
14. What Price Love? (2006)
15. The Taste of Innocence (2007)
16. Where the Heart Leads (2008)
17. Temptation and Surrender (2009)

Cynster Sisters
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue (2011)
In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster (2011)
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae (2012)

-Upcoming:
And Then She Fell (2013)
The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh (2013)

Tuesday book list: Books by Julia Quinn

Quinn is well on her way to gaining a permanent place on my list of favourite authors of historical romances, even though I have only read books from her Bridgerton series. I am planning to finish that series before I start hunting down the others.

Here are her books, the ones I have read in blue.

Blydon trilogy:
1. Splendid (1995)
2. Dancing at Midnight (1995)
3. Minx (1996)

Lyndon Sisters duology:
1. Everything and the Moon (1997)
2. Brighter Than the Sun (1997)

Agents for the Crown duology:
1. To Catch an Heiress (1998)
2. How to Marry a Marquis (1999)

Bridgerton series:
1. The Duke and I (2000)
2. The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)

3. An Offer from a Gentleman (2001)

4. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (2002)
5. To Sir Philip,with Love (2003)

6. When He Was Wicked (2004)

7. It's in His Kiss (2005)

8. On the Way to the Wedding (2006)

Bevelstoke series:
1. The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever (2007)
2. What Happens in London (2009)

Two Dukes of Wyndham:
1. The Lost Duke of Wyndham (2008)
2. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (2008)

Smythe-Smith Quartet:
1. Just Like Heaven (2011)

Standalone novels:
Ten Things I Love About You (2010)
The Lady Most Likely... (2010) (with Connie Brockway, Eloisa James)

Tuesday book list: The Dark Ones by Katie MacAlister

This is a funny one. I have tried, and given up on, several of her other novels, but I have read three books from this one particular series and liked them all enough that I want more. I think it’s perhaps because of the dark elements involved. The series is The Dark Ones, and while I find the premise of the Moravian Dark Ones rather contrived in an “every author wants their vampires to be unique” kind of way, the books so far have been eminently readable. This is, to use the words of one of my online reading friends, “some good trash”.

Titles I have read are in bold.

The Dark Ones series:

A Girl's Guide to Vampires (2003)
Sex and the Single Vampire (2004)
Sex, Lies and Vampires (2005)
Even Vampires Get the Blues (2006)
The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires (2007)
Bring Out Your Dead (2006) (in Just One Sip)
Zen and the Art of Vampires (2008)
Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang (2009)
In the Company of Vampires (2010)
Much Ado About Vampires (2011)

Tuesday book list: Books by Amanda Quick

Contemporary romance author Jayne Ann Krentz uses the pseudonym Amanda Quick for her historical romances. These blend together historical romance and adventure with mystery or thriller elements and the hero and heroine are often thrown together over a search for some fabulous valuable item.

As before, the books I have read are in bold.

Vanza:
1. With This Ring (1998)
2. I Thee Wed (1999)
3. Wicked Widow (2000)
4. Lie by Moonlight (2005)


Lavinia Lake & Tobias March:
1. Slightly Shady (2001)
2. Don't Look Back (2002)
3. Late for the Wedding (2003)


Standalone novels:
Seduction (1990)
Surrender (1990)
Scandal (1991)
Rendezvous (1991)
Ravished (1992)
Reckless (1992)
Desire (1993)
Dangerous (1993)
Deception (1993)
Mistress (1994)
Mystique (1995)
Mischief (1996)
Affair (1997)
The Paid Companion (2004)
Wait Until Midnight (2004)
The River Knows (2007)

Tuesday book list: Books by Suzanne Brockmann

I only read two interconnected series by this author.
These books tend to be over-the top and unrealistic thrillers, but that’s just why I enjoy them. It’s like reading the Desmond Bagley and Alistair MacLean thrillers I liked as a teenager but with a much stronger romantic element, or like reading the Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney romantic mysteries I loved but with a stronger thriller element.

Bold = read
Blue = owned but not read yet

Tall, Dark and Dangerous:

1. Prince Joe (1996)
2. Forever Blue (1996)
3. Frisco's Kid (1996)
4. Everyday, Average Jones (1998)
5. Harvard's Education (1998)
6. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (1998)
7. The Admiral's Bride (1999)
8. Identity, Unknown (1999)
9. Get Lucky (2000)
10. Taylor's Temptation (2001)
11. Night Watch (2003)



Troubleshooters

1. The Unsung Hero (2000)
2. The Defiant Hero (2001)
3. Over the Edge (2001)
4. Out of Control (2002)
5. Into the Night (2002)
6. Gone Too Far (2003)
7. Flashpoint (2004)
8. Hot Target (2004)
9. Breaking Point (2005)
10. Into the Storm (2006)
11. Force of Nature (2007)
12. All Through the Night (2007)
13. Into the Fire (2008)
14. Dark of Night (2009)
15. Hot Pursuit (2009)
16. Breaking the Rules (2011)