I don’t know about yours, but my to-be-read list is a mile long. By reading on my lunch break, I’ve found a way to chip away at my list. I’ve already read two books this year and have started two more. I thought I’d share with you these great reads.

Nyssa Glass Series

H. L. Burke has a wonderful, whimsical way of telling a story. Her Nyssa Glass series is a steampunk fantasy that introduces you to a young girl whose former life involved pick-pocketing and cat-burglering. Her safe and secure life changes, however, when she finds her employer murdered and she’s accused of his death. Nyssa is blackmailed into entering a deserted mansion and getting company secrets. Along the way, she meets a unique computer and tries to escape robots and other attempts on her life.

I loved the first book but haven’t made it to the rest of the series, yet. Each of the books in the series is on sale for 99 cents right now on amazon. There are five in the series and a prequel, which is free.

Beggar Magic

This past fall, Fellowship of Fantasy put on a cosplay contest. My youngest son entered as Kirito and The Black Butler, and he won the juvenile division. His prize was supposed to be paperback books, but when the authors discovered he loves audiobooks better, they offered him audio versions of their books. Beggar Magic was one of H. L. Burke’s that David received.

In my life as a mom, I’ve learned to listen when my kids come up to me and say, “Mom, you’ve got to read this book!” I discovered Cornelia Funke’s Dragonrider and Inkheart as well as the Pendragon series that way. Well, at dinner one night, David asked if I’d read Beggar Magic. I had to ask what it was. He then proceeded to tell me it was one of H. L. Burke’s books. His eyes lit up as he talked about a story. Now, in his fifteen-year-old mind, the story started out slowly, but then (and this is where his eyes lit up) things started happening and he couldn’t put it down.

In and of itself, that should be enough to say, go get this book! However, I’ll tell you more. In a world where people are divided between Highmost and Common, two girls one from either of the two classes become friends. As they move to their apprenticeships, they discover a sinister plan that will threaten their very friendship. It’s a fun-loving story of good and evil and trying to manuever through the two.

Dragon’s Curse

This weekend, I had the privilege of traveling four and half hours to a conference. So, on my way there, I listened to Beggar Magic, and on my way home, I listened to Dragon’s Curse, another H. L. Burke tale. I was impressed with the variety of stories this author has. Dragon’s Curse is a bit more grown up. A young girl heads out on her first assignment after the academy. However, Shannon finds she must tread carefully in the court of the new king. He seeks revenge on the dragon that killed his brother. When a dragon comes to live on the mountain outside the king’s castle, Shannon’s world is turned upside down.

This tale is almost a fairy tale, and as I looked it up to give you a link, I discovered it’s a series. That means I have to add three more books to my to-be-read list! Just when I thought I could cross three off, I’m adding three more.

Firethorn chronicles

At the beginning of the year, Fellowship of Fantasy started a book club. (If you want to join, just tell them I sent you.) Each month the group chooses a book to read and then we interact with the author and other readers. February introduced me to Lea Doue and this fairy tale series. I’d not really read a retelling of a fairy tale before I read The Firethorn Crown. I became ill and had to stay home from work one day which enabled me to read most of the first book of the series in one sitting.

The story gives an intriguing look into the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. We are introduced to the first princess as she’s preparing to choose a prince and take over the kingdom. As she runs from one eligible suitor, she and her sisters are pulled into a secret passage under the maze in their garden. To rescue her sisters from a curse, she returns to the secret realm.

I really enjoyed the story. Not only did it have intrigue and romance, it also held some underlying themes of redemption and temptation. Again, it’s book one in a series. I believe, we’ll be introduced to each of the princesses through different books and fairy tales. So, if that’s true, I have another eleven books added to my to-be-read list.

Dragon Friend

This month the book club is reading Dragon Friend by Marc Secchia. I was excited to sit down and read this book because it’s been in the “also bought” section of Dragon’s Future in Amazon. I haven’t finished the book, but I am definitely giving it a thumbs up!

Lia has been thrown overboard, left to try to fly on her own, befriended by a dragonet, and now’s trying to restore the rightful heir to the throne. That’s all within the first half of the book. When a book has dragons, adventure, and romance, and it’s clean for my kids as well, it’s a book to put on my recommend list. Again, it’s the first of a series. So, I have even more books to add to my reading list, but it’s more than worth it.

What books are you reading? Any good recommendations? Please share in the comments.