Just finished readingSarah Addison Allen's Sugar Queen. 

Since this is about books I like/liked, let me say that it's an example of magical realism, which may or may not be to your taste.  I liked it, though, but I lovelovelove Alice Hoffman's books which really rely on magical realism.

Not scary, but a bit atmospheric, Sugar Queen downplays the supernatural element in favor of a kind of sweetness, I'd guess you'd say.  I like what she does with her heroine's secret obsession with food and what enables Joesy to move away from filling up the emptiness in her life with food.  It's not heavy--sorry, no pun intended--on putting out a message, which was good.

Instead, the food references are sensory and part of the fabric of the story as Joesy becomes free enough to open herself to love and relationships and move on to a bigger--sorry, again!--life.

It also has a southern setting which is woven in nicely as almost a character, too.

It's a pleasant, non-threatening story of finding one's true self and told in a light, charming manner.

Am I sounding sort of lukewarm about it?  Maybe that's how it struck me.  But it was a nice Memorial Day read.

Going to start this new category of books I'm reading and recommending.  If you're interested, check in, comment, add your own recommendations, all right?  And, sidebar, here's a special irritation of mine--"all right" misspelled as "alright."

Whew, now that I have that off my chest (yes, I'd just read it in some book, and it really annoyed me, but then I'm crotchety about those kinds of things), on to GOOD READS.

I've recently finished Jennifer Greene's Blame It on Paris, and, as usual, I loved it.  Some of you know she's a friend of mine, so I'm predisposed to like her writing because I adore her.  However.  When it comes to The Work (capitalized because The Work is important!), I'm pretty hardnosed about recommending books.  I have to like it.  Have to think someone else will, too.  Maybe for the same reasons I do, maybe for different reasons.

On all counts, Blame It on Paris works.  I particularly love her way with the relationship and with her ability to create very appealing characters.

Greene firmly grounds me in a world where I'd like to live, a world where I'd have a heck of a good time.  Oh, yeah, and her books are very, very romantic! 

My other recommendation is Blythe Gifford's The Harlot's Daughter.   I don't read many historicals anymore.  Used to.  Not too many appeal to me these days, but I'm not sure why.  Adored the old Anya Seton historicals, the Laura Kinsale books.  But lately. . . .   Oh, well, who knows?

At any rate, Gifford's historical, set in the time of England's Richard II with all its machinations and court intrigue is a really well-done historical, but the spotlight is right there on the romantic relationship, which is very rich and powerful.  For you writers, I'm suggesting that you take a hard look at how she's shaped her conflict between the two main characters.

Man, talk about the "what's at stake" question--Gifford's put it on the pages.  In spades.  A page-turner.

Happy reading!