I think all of us booklovers are prone to random book cravings. They hit you with no warning—all of a sudden, you really need a suspense, or a bad-boy hero, or the misty green of Ireland (or more likely for those of us suffering through this wretched weather in the Northeast, a Caribbean pirate book). Nothing else will do. All the many, many books in the TBR hold no appeal because they don’t have that certain something you’re looking for.
Where do these cravings come from? A lot of times I just crave the new, hot, talked-about book. Hearing good things about a particular book from friends makes me want to run out and buy it—even if it’s not my favorite type of book. Or I’ll crave a new book by a favorite author (and then I’ll whine that they write too slowly, which is completely selfish of me). But a lot of cravings are more personal and serendipitous. Something in my life sparks an interest and sets me searching.
Movies and TV are maybe the most obvious source of reading inspiration. Law and Order makes me need some Eve and Roarke; the movie Tristan & Isolde inspires a craving for medievals and Madeline Hunter; Miss Congeniality always makes me want to read a Stephanie Plum book.
Sometimes a particular setting can set off a binge of similar books. My first foray into SciFi (Lois McMaster Bujold) made me wonder about SciFi Romance—leading me to Linnea Sinclair and a glom of her books. And it’s still not enough—I need more! (BTW, anyone have any good SciFi Romance recommendations? I’m not above using this forum for personal gain. *g*)
Other times I’m inspired by a train of seemingly unconnected thoughts that would hold no meaning for any but my own idiosyncratic brain. Like a few weeks ago when I met a man named Jack at work. And we were sitting in a meeting and it was, well, not the most titillating hour of my life, and my mind was wandering. I started thinking about my old college friend Jack, who’s an archaeologist, which made me remember how much I like novels set in Rome, which then made me remember that I had Michelle Styles’s The Gladiator’s Honor in my TBR, and didn’t that just sound like the perfect thing to read next?
I’m served cherry pie for dessert? *gasp* I’ve haven’t read a Crusie in months!! Time for a reread, but which one . . . ?
All these inspirations and cravings prove that my beloved books are never far from my mind. I’m always thinking about what I’m going to read next, and which books might satisfy my mood best. Because there’s nothing better than being able to put your hands on a book that will meet your worst cravings.
So what are your most recent reading inspirations?
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Jennie, I have more SF romance coming soon at Ellora’s Cave.
Epublishing seems more open to futuristic than NY, so look online for your futuristic cravings!
I’m always in the mood for funny. Really. I will put down everything to read the latest from a funny author. Second to that, I’m always up for an angst break with Presents. I love the variety I can find in romance subgenres, sweet to erotic, angsty to hilarious, all time periods and settings, all shades of paranormal to contemporary. And I tend to reach for either something similar to what I’m writing so I can keep the “tone” in my head, or something totally opposite.
My TBR is all non-fiction at the moment, while I wait for Loretta Chase’s new book to hit the shelves . . . oh, no it’s not. I forgot I have DUCHESS lurking in there! Yea!!!
Gosh, you quite made my day by mention The Gladiator’s Honour. I do hope you enjoy it.
My next North American release is in July –The Roman’s Virgin Mistress. Currently Sold and Seduced is out in the UK.
But I know what you mean about being inspired. After ITV showed its season of Jane Austen — I absolutely had to read some Regency — Anne Herries is on brilliant form at the moment as is Louise Allen. A Most Unconvetional Courtship is very goood and set partly in Corfu.
Because Life on Mars has just finished over here, I wanted to read some timetravel and now have the Time Traveller’s Wife in my tbr. I had forgotten how much I enjoy time travel books.
Ever since I first read it 30 years ago, cold, rainy days make me want to read Wuthering Heights. I think the external temperature helps to create the mood of the damp, chilly moors. WH has always been one of my all-time favorites no matter how many times I read it.
Charlene–I’m afraid I’m behind the times on e-publishing. (I have trouble reading on my computer and don’t have an ereader.) But I should check it out more.
Kalen–I’m looking forward to the new Chase book too!
Michelle–I did read Gladiator’s Honor after that craving and thought it was really excellent. I’ll be looking out for your new release–so few books are set in the ancient world and I just love them!
L.K.–I’ve never read Wuthering Heights, but I know what you mean about weather affecting your reading mood. Though I usually crave the opposite of what the weather I’m having is!
Epublishing is definitely the place to go for scifi romance! Ellora’s Cave is starting a continuity that I’m a part of, for one thing. I’m sure many of the books will be out in paperback someday. I have a scifi short story coming out from Lavender Isis next month, and they have some scifi romance. Meanwhile, I personally bought a Susan Grant scifi romance paperback a couple of days ago. You can usually find her eight years or so of books on the shelves!
SFR & Futuristic authors with mainstream romance releases (since you aren’t as up on ebooks) include Susan Grant, Susan Kearney, Patti O’Shea, Liz Maverick, Kathleen Nance, CJ Barry, Gena Showalter, Catherine Spangler, Dara Joy, Justine Dare, Robin Owens, Jayne Castle (Ann Krenz), & Dierdre Knight.
I’m sure I missed a bunch, too! Brain is cheese.
This is so definitely me! I have to figure out what mood I’m in, thrn nothing else will do. I’ve been in a paranormal mood lately, and even though there are some historicals I’m looking forward to, I just can’t stick with one right now. And I find that if I read a really good paranormal (or whatever the case may be) then I want more, whereas if I read something that I didn’t like so much, then I want to read something really different, to cleanse the palate, so to speak.
I find that my reading moods are tied to the weather as well.
Good SF romance reading from the SF side:
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller’s Liaden Universe (start with Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, Carpe Diem, also published in an omnibus called Partners in Necessity, or with Scout’s Progress (one of my favorite books))
Catherine Asaro
Fantasy rather than SF, but Martha Wells
And I had someone else in mind, too, but I can’t remember … will come back if I do
I can be inspired by TV or the romance newsgroup I’m in.
Watching Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (BBC mini) got me reading Regencies for a few months. Reading a story about Jenny Crusie online sent me running for “Welcome to Temptation” and “Manhunting”. Watching The Dresden Files on Sci-Fi channel got me started on the Jim Butcher books, which sent me to David Eddings’ Belgariad series, then to Anne McCaffrey’s first two Crystal Singer books, and finally to Esther Friesner’s Chicks in Chainmail anthology. (I still love the story about the Bronze Bra ban, even after reading it 6-7 times.)
Now I’m back to romance, re-reading Julie Garwood’s The Secret after hearing that she’s working on a new historical. Yay! Next up is Stephanie Laurens’ first Bastion Club book, while I wait for Loretta Chase’s new book next week.
The trailer of HP and the Order of the Phoenix sent me running to re-read all the HP books.
Recently, I went on a binge of P C Cast’s Goddess summoning series. I’m on a Fantasy/ Paranormal roll at the moment after finishing Slave to Sensation. It’s more of a mood thing for me, and movies being released sometimes influence my book cravings too.