If I were asked to name one great male romantic fiction author 2 years ago, I would have said “None comes to my mind.”

However, having read A Walk to Remember and watched the movie (on YouTube, no less!), and recently followed that up with the heart-achingly sweet war romance (well, sort of), I can confidently name Nichols Sparks as a favourite male author now. I gladly recommend Dear John to all die-hard romantics.  Here’re the reasons why …

Synopsis:

A rebel in his younger days, John Tyree joined the army “because he needed to” and to make something out of an aimless life with an uncommunicative father. While on home leave one summer knowing he’s ready to turn over a new leaf, he met the lively Savannah Lynn Curtis, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual, and the budding romance quickly turned into a serious vow, on John’s part to marry her when his tour of duty is over, and on Savannah’s part to wait for him.

However, none of them could foresee the great change that 9/11 would wrought to their lives and their love. Faced with the choice of country or love, John made a decision that changed their future. Now, finally returned, he would finally learn the transformational power of  love.

One of the most exciting things about reading is joining a challenge.  This year, with three challenges across different genres, it’ll require more careful planning so the journey is enjoyable yet fulfilling.  Looking at the themes of the two major reading challenges I’ve signed up for, here’s the list I’ve drawn up:

Jan (Category Romances): Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Feb  (hero in pursuit): How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist (also for Who Are You Again?)

Mar  (His­tor­i­cal romance or fic­tion or mystery):

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen – definitely can be entered for Older Than You

The Return from Troy by Lindsay Clarke

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald – definitely can be entered for Older Than You

Apr (SFR or SF/F or fantasy):

Any of these could be entered under this category or the TBR category for 2010 or Up to You! category

Hades’ Daughter by Sara Douglass

The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik

Jun (YA fic­tion): could be read for the 2010 Challenge — The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The theme for October’s TBR chal­lenge was a hor­ror book, which is a real challenge for me, as I’ve not picked up a horror book since V C Andrews nor watched a horror movie after Poltergeist 3 and Omen 3.

Ever since reading Keishon’s guest post at Borders True Romance blog, I had a craving for some mysteries, thrills and spills.  So as an alternative to horror, I decided to dedicate October to romantic suspense thrillers, and one of the authors I most wanted to try is Roxanne St. Claire. I was introduced to her when she guest blogged at True Romance, where she talked about her inspiration behind the hero in her latest Bullet Catcher book.

The synopsis of the series hint at an adrenaline-filled roller coaster ride with a melting pot of pulse racing intrigue, heart thumping action, in and out of bed. Boy, did Rocki deliver the goods. Well, since I started with book 4, First You Run , and realized that it’s a linked trilogy, I automatically bought Then You Hide and Now You Die, and enjoyed all three tremendously. Without further ado, here’s my review of the three books:

“I need to find a woman. I don’t know who she is or where she is. And when I find her, chances are I’m going to get her naked, rock her world, and then make her wish I were dead.” Bullet Catcher Adrien Fletcher (Fletch) told his boss, Lucy Sharpe, in First You Run .

With lines like that, how could you resist the rest of the book?

This month, we have to pick a new author or an author we’ve not read in a long time. Well, since I have two Judith McNaught books in my pile, and she’s almost new to me, these are my picks for September’s TBR Challenge – Remember When and Every Breath You Take.

Let’s start with Remember When. The main thing that drew me to the book was the synopsis at the back, which reads:

Alone on a moonlit balcony at Houston’s White Orchid Charity Ball, Diana Foster courageously upheld the sparkling image of her family’s Beautiful Living magazine. Recently jilted by her fiancé for an Italian heiress – an insult delivered via a sleazy tabloid – Diana was noe very publicly unengaged, and surrounded by humiliating rumours So why was billionaire Cole Harrison closing in on her with two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne?

The former stableboy had received an ultimatum from his uncle: Cole must bring home a wife – soon – or lose his share of a booming multinational business. Coolly analytical and arrestingly attractive, Cole knew what he wanted in a bride, and Diana Foster – rich, beautiful, and a principled – fit the role perfectly. But while a long, slow kiss sealed the bargain that solved their dilemmas, neither imagined the extraordinary journey that would begin on that unforgettable night …

I am 2 days late for this month’s TBR Challenge theme – SFR, fantasy, urban fantasy or paranormal – which is right up my alley, as I’ve been able to finish reading a couple of fantasy series that I’ve been following.

The first of these was The Princess of the Sword by Lynn Kurland, the last book on the Nine Kingdoms series which I’ve been following.  And what a satisfactory finale it was, peppered with Ms Kurland’s typical light humour and chaste approach to the romance angle.  For the uninitiated, here’s a summary of this instalment:

Morgan of Melksham, an avowed magic hater, can no longer deny the magic within her veins when she learns of her true heritage. Morgan’s father unleashed a well of evil, and it’s up to her to cap it. Archmage Prince Miach is looking for the spells to complete their task, but retrieving them poses its own set of dangers. Capping the well is only the first problem, for the evil mage Lothar has plans for total domination.

As you can imagine, there were a few mini challenges to overcome before the two protagonists meet with the arch villain, and what a confrontation it was.  This book is an adventure all on its own, though not as taxing to comprehend as other books on wizardry and mages.  Great, light hearted romantic Fantasy reading.

IMB rating: 5.0

For the month of March, we are to read a “Historical romance or fiction or mystery” and my choice is the sequel to Empress Orchid by Anchee Min, which I read for another TBR challenge some three years ago.

My fascination with history doesn’t just stop at wars, knights, and myths.  A large part of the curiosity has to do with the roles women play in those olden days.  Take the rare few female monarchs for example, Queen Elizabeth, Wu Ze Tian, Cleopatra, and the controversial Empress Cixi (Tzu Hsi), the kind of power play, politics and sacrifices they were inevitably drawn into sure make them intriguing figures to study.

The Last Empress, written in first person, traces the trials and heartaches the young widowed Empress Cixi experienced in trying to raise her young son, the heir to a doomed kingdom which has barely recovered from a damaging Opium War with several power hungry European nations. Now, in our part of the world, Cixi has always been portrayed, in drama, movies and TV serials, as a stern, insecure matriarch who refused to cede authority and government of the country over to her sons, first Emperor Tung Chih, and then Guang Hsu.