Mid-Year Thoughts: Your Favorites of 2015?

My daughter just finished a very difficult junior year of high school, and has been enjoying her freedom the past week by luxuriating in a pile of compelling books. She's on a Tamora Pierce re-reading kick at the moment (the Beka Cooper stories, as well as the 2 Tricksters books), although I did manage to slip in a Juliet Marillier book or to into her pile. Every morning, she's asked me to check my email to see if the books we ordered through our library's extensive interlibrary loan system have arrived at our local branch. I usually drop in there once a week, but we've been to the library three or four times already to pick up her ILL requests as they slowly trickle in. "I love books," she declared as we made our way down to the library parking garage, her latest check-outs tucked tight to her chest. "I really missed having the time to get sucked into a good story."

She needs some new shorts, and a bathing suit for the summer, shopping we didn't have time to do during the far-too-busy school year. But I'm having some difficulty prying her away from her goodies. "All I want to do is sit on the couch and read," she told me.

What romances have kept you glued to the couch so far this year? Did any of them have feminist leanings? All recommendations welcome (especially if they include fantasies with intriguing female protagonists....)


And it looks like I'm not the only one taking stock. Head over to the NPR web site, where they are conducting a poll about favorite romance novels.


And, just for fun, this link to feminist messages in Jane Austen's books.