What more does a girl need than a pile of books and a bowl of chocolate? Let’s talk about what we’ve been reading and feeding our inner chocoholics.

This month’s books were books that I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own, but I gave them a shot because someone recommended them to me. And I’m glad I did. They are definitely on the outskits of my usual reading fare, but they definitely hit the spot.

Just so you know, links below are Amazon associate links, so if you buy anything through them, I will get a couple of pennies from that.

Starship’s Mage

In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Mages, Damien Montgomery graduates into their numbers—only to discover that without connections, he can’t find a ship and is stuck in the Sherwood system.

My son recommended this one to me. Actually insisted I read it. Actually, he nagged me until I did. My kids can be determined that way.

The basic premise on this one is an intersection between space travel and magic in which faster than light travel is only possible with a mage with particular talents. And naturally those talents are complicated, and quite possibly dangerous. The lead character, Damien Montgomery might be the most dangerous of all.

A great balance between sci fi and fantasy. I’d definitely recommend it for lovers of either or both genres.

The Marriage Code

Emma has always lived her life according to a plan. But after turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, everything starts to crumble. In an effort to save the one thing she cares about—her job—she must recruit her colleague, Rishi, to be on her development team. Rishi cannot believe that he got passed over for promotion. To make matters worse, not only does his job require him to return home to Bangalore with his nemesis, Emma, but his parents now expect him to choose a bride and get married. So, when Emma makes him an offer—join her team, and she’ll write an algorithm to find him the perfect bride—he reluctantly accepts.

I don’t read a lot of romance, but the premise of a cross cultural romance between computer geeks struck the right chord for me. Both characters were solid and relatable enough without too much of the sort of angst that makes me want to throw books across the room. My favorite part was the lush descriptions of the setting and the cultures of India. That made the book for me.

A solid, behind closed doors romance, that I can definitely recommend.

Do you have any books that were definitely not your usual fair, but you finished anyway and they have stuck with you? Tell me in the comments.

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