Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I have a lot of favorite authors, and narrowing down my favorite books for each might be a bit of a trial, so I thought I’d make it a little easier on myself.  Since I tend to gravitate to series, I wanted to highlight the first book in my favorite series by my favorite authors.

Michael Connelly – The Black Echo.  Bosch Universe.  I had a friend rec this series to me years ago and I cannot thank her enough.

Michael Connelly (again) – The Lincoln Lawyer.  This is also part of the Bosch Universe, but focuses on Harry’s half-brother, Mickey Haller.  I often get a lot of guff for this, but I prefer Mickey to Harry (or Renee Ballard).

Tess Gerritsen – The Surgeon.  Rizzoli & Isles.  This series is one of the few I got into in reverse.  I started watching the series with Angie Harmon and discovered that it had been based on a series of novels.  In between seasons, I began binge reading the books.  While the show and the series are very different, they are both fantastic.

Kathy Reichs – Deja Dead.  Temperance Brennan.  Tempe is an interesting character who often does dumb things (she’s forever getting conked on the head), but her relationship with Andrew Ryan is the best.

Dana Stabenow – A Cold Day for Murder.  Kate Shugak.  Set in Alaska, starring a Native woman, this series is fascinating in all the details you get about native life in Alaska, as well as all the history of the state and the people.  Even though I’m angry with the author for something she did about halfway through the series, this is still one of the best out there.

Travis Baldree – Legends and Lattes.  Legends and Lattes.  I’m pretty sure I discovered this book through TTT and instantly fell in love.  Cozy fantasy is something I never knew I needed.

Vivien Chien – Death by Dumpling.  Noodle Shop Mysteries.  Cozy mysteries are one of my top favorite genres and I read a ton of them.  These are some of the best.

Jenn McKinlay – Books Can Be Deceiving.  Library Lover’s Mysteries.  I love books set in a library and these are particularly fun since the town’s residents are all a little kooky.

Dakota Cassidy – The Accidental Werewolf.  Accidentally Paranormal.  There is so much I love about this series – the crazy way the characters become paranormal creatures, the humor, Nina.  The author is also a pretty great woman, too.

John Scalzi – Constituent Service.  Here, I am going to break with my theme since I couldn’t think of a tenth series I read faithfully (it’ll come to me after I post this, I’m sure).  However, I do adore John Scalzi – he makes me laugh, he makes me think, and – in When the Moon Hits Your Eye – he even made me cry.  While I haven’t read anything of his yet that I haven’t enjoyed, I think his novella, Constituent Service, is one of the best (and most bizarre).

Have you read any of these authors?  What did you think?

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Since I tend to get attached to fictional characters rather easily, I do tend to seek out series.  Getting to see the same people pop up over and over again, and getting to know more about their lives, is what makes me happy.  However, not all series can maintain their momentum or keep the readers happy in the end.  I’ve been lucky in that the majority of the series I have started have ended well.  There are always exceptions of course, but for the most part, I’ve had good luck.  Here are a few of my favorites, even if I’m not quite finished with them yet:

1. Faces of Evil series by Debra Webb. I loved everything about this series. Each book picked up practically where the last one left off.  The pace was intense, the romance was fantastic, and the bad guy – Eric Spears – was menacing and somehow still a bit charming.
2. The Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow. While I’m not quite finished with this series yet, I absolutely adore it. Kate is very no-nonsense and takes no prisoners, which makes her amazing at her job.  The addition of her Aleut heritage and all the tidbits about native Alaskans and Alaskan history only makes it that much more interesting.
3. The Deep Dish Mysteries by Mindy Quigley. I stumbled onto the first in this series – Six Feet Deep Dish – on Netgalley a few years ago. I’m a big pizza lover, so it was an instant draw.  The characters are great and one of them is even a descendant of Al Capone.  Which is amusing since Del & Son’s Pizzeria is gangster themed.  The only downside to this series is that I get some serious pizza cravings reading it.
4. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. The third book in this series releases in a couple of months, but so far, the first two have been absolutely amazing. Shout out to the author himself who is also pretty amazing.
5. The Crown Jewels Regency Mysteries series by Lynn Morrison and Anne Radcliffe.  A good friend of mine and I have a buddy listen group going where we pick different audiobooks and listen to them, then discuss. This series was added to our list because while I love mysteries, she’s more partial to regency romances.  Who knew I’d find a book that combines both so well?  The two main characters, Lady Grace and Lord Percy and hilarious at times and are perfect for each other.
6. Check Please! series by Ngozi Ukazu. This was recommended by a friend of mine who is a huge hockey fan. I’m a sucker for a cute manga or graphic novel, so it being hockey themed was just a bonus.  Both volumes are adorable, and Eric Bittle is the sweetest boyfriend ever.  Also, he bakes when he gets stressed and might just be having an emotional affair with his oven, but shhh, don’t tell Jack!
7. The Third District series by John Sclazli. This probably doesn’t qualify since the first part was a 20 page short story and the second is a 2 hour audiobook. However, both of these stories were hilarious and refreshing.
8. The Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. I’ll be honest with you, I’m only about halfway through this series, but I enjoy them all. As an actual forensic anthropologist, the author brings expertise and insight to the mysteries.  As someone who loves to learn something from her fiction, this series has been a constant draw over the years.  With the exception of Tempe’s occasional bad choices, there isn’t anything I don’t like about these books.
9. The Adenashire series by J. Penner. The blurb for the first book caught my attention immediately. I am not, after all, the kind of person who can resist a baking contest, especially not one that’s set in a fantasy world.  Everything about this book was exactly as I wanted it, and the sequel was just as good, if not better, than the first.  The second involved a baby dragon and not much can compete with a baby dragon in my opinion.  I’m looking forward to the third in this series and hoping that it’s just as magical and fun as the first two have been.
10. The Bosch Universe by Michael Connelly. I’m including everything here – Bosch, Ballard, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Jack McEvoy – in this. The author only gets better as the series go on, fine-tuning his writing and the characters as he goes along.  While I haven’t yet read the most recent novel, containing a new character, I am anxiously awaiting the next Mickey Haller book due in October.  The thing I like best about these books is that they cross over often bringing Mickey into Harry’s world or Harry into Mickey’s.  The only thing I dislike about this series is that the author decided to age the characters along with the books, so Harry’s in his 70’s now, I believe, and that does not bode well for his character.