Summer Reading

It's still miserable here in New York, dark, dank and impossibly dreary. So to cheer myself up, I decided to make a list of the books that I'm most excited about reading this summer. Right now, I'm imagining myself on a beach somewhere, sipping a fruity rum drink brought to me by a hot guy in a bathing suit, whose sole desire is to fulfill my every need (note to self, don't read an Angela Knight erotic vampire while riding the train unless you want to be horny all day!) while I'm diving into the following books.

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling: Okay, I pre-ordered this book as soon as it was announced. Even though I almost broke my foot reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (God that book was heavy) and it really didn't get going until the last 150 pages, I can't wait to read the next to last installment in the Harry Potter series. I think we've waited long enough, although I give JK Rowling credit for not rushing just to get a book out.

2. Devil's Corner - Lisa Scottoline: Her books are an automatic must read for me. I just read the first chapter over at her website and I plan on going to hear her speak at the police museum here in New York in June.

3. Maybe Baby - Lani Diane Rich: I read Lani's RITA and RT nominated first book Time Off for Good Behavior last fall, and I've been looking forward to reading her first romance. I loved her sarcastic, snarky heroine Wanda.

4. Eleven On Top - Janet Evanovich: You can always be guaranteed a laugh out loud, pee in your pants read from Janet Evanovich. In Eleven On Top, Stephanie decides to quit bond reinforcement with predictable but hilarious results.

5. Confessions of a Serial Dater - Michelle Cunnah: Michelle made it to the top of my must buy list with her first two books. I can't wait for this one.

6. Balancing in High Heels - Eileen Rendahl: Eileen's first double RITA nominated first book Do Me, Do My Roots was one of my favorite books last year. Funny and tres emotionally satisfying, it actually made me cry and sad to leave the characters in the book when I shut the cover.

7. It's in His Kiss - Julia Quinn: I glommed her Bridgerton series over the past few months, so I'm excited to finally get my hands on Hyacinth's book.

8. The Au Pairs, Skinny-Dipping - Melissa de la Cruz: I loved the first book, and I'm a sucker for anything set in the Hamptons.

9. The Anglophile - Laurie Gwen Shapiro - I'm an Anglophile. Enough said.

10. The Givenchy Code - Julie Kenner: I'd read this book for the title alone, but the first chapter had me hooked when I read it on Julie's website. Plus I adored The Spy Who Loved Me.

11. Innocence - Kathleen Tessaro: I'm less than six degrees of seperation from Kathleen Tessaro, so I'm intrigued to how much her new book resembles her life 19 years ago. I thought her first book was a breath of fresh air, and I love the art work.

12. Undead & Unappreciated - Mary Janice Davidson: Kudos to MJD for making the leap to hardcover with her new Undead novel. You gotta love a reluctant vampire queen with a penchant for high end shoes. I like my vampire books funny rather than angsty so I'm looking forward to Betsy's new adventure.

13. The Bitch Posse - Martha O'Connor: I've heard nothing but great things about this book, even from England where it's called the Bitches handbook. I've already reserved this at the library.

14. Soap Suds - Finola Hughes: Finola Hughes was one of my favorite actresses on GH and All My Children where she played Anna Devane, so I was intrigued when I heard that she had written a novel where the heroine is an English soap actress.

15. Question of Love - Isabel Woolff: I may have to order this on Amazon.co.uk before it's published here in the States, since I don't think I can wait that long to read Isabel's new book.

Wow, 15 books! There are other books coming out this summer that I'm interested in, but these were the 15 that really grabbed my imagination and attention.

What are you looking forward to reading this summer?