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.

I have to confess, at the end of last year I went through a series of books that were ok, and really just ok. Now there’s nothing wrong with OK books. But that’s not what I want to talk about here. I’d rather reserve this space for books I enjoyed enough to remember fondly and think that you will feel the same way. So with that in mind, here are some that recently made that cut for me.

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

The House Witch

A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.

When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.

I guess, having served as chief cook in my family for always, I have a soft spot for food and cooking related fantasies. This book was filled with fun characters, lite romance, and a touch of magic. The sort of thing you’d want to curl up with on a cold evening with a cup of your favorite warm beverage.

Salt and Broom

A gifted healer unravels the mysteries of a cursed estate—and its enigmatic owner—in a witchy retelling of Jane Eyre.

Trunks packed with potions and cures, Jane Aire sets out on a crisp, clear morning in October to face the greatest challenge of her sheltered girls’-school existence. A shadow lies over Thornfield Hall and its reclusive master, Edward Rochester. And he’s hired her only as a last resort.

I’ve always been a sucker for Jane Eyre (minus the squicky cousins, though. Never like that bit of the story line…). I haven’t read too many adaptations, so this one caught my eye.

In this one, Jane has a bit more backbone, there’s no mad wife in the attic (not that she’s not about, just not locked in the attic) and no squicky cousins in sight. Win-win on all counts. I enjoyed this one, especially the twists I didn’t expect. I think you will too.

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How about free books?

Click the image to go to the pages

This one is a sales promotion. I reviewed Shadow Winged from this one last year. It’s a great read.

What are you reading now? Tell me in the comments.