Musing Mondays - May 9

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme now hosted at Jenn's new blog Books And A Beat that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What is the best book you read LAST year?

Well, this shouldn't be too hard to figure out since my reading is so much less the past two years than it used to be. Sigh!

There were actually two books that were my favorite in 2015--for very different reasons: one because of the author's steady work in and knowledge of the genre she writes, and the other, because she went outside of her comfort zone and tried a different style in a genre she has already established herself in. The second author is today's pick.

Why I love Heather Haven's work: Strong female leads are her trademark and she creates them well. 

How is Death of a Clown similar to her previous work?

In creating Jeri Deane she stayed true to her trademark. Whether or not her main characters realize their strength all the time, it is there. In this book, Haven truly got into Jeri's head and dissected everything she feels, creating one of my favorite characters.

How is Death of a Clown different from her previous work?

Everything else I have read by Haven has been light and funny. Her main characters are sarcastic, witty young women who kick ass. While murder is a serious business, in Haven's other books there isn't the intense drama and powerful nature that is found within Death of a Clown. This book is set at a circus during World War II. Since the author is the daughter of former circus performers, this also allows her tap into that family history to create a book whose setting is equally as well-drawn as her characters.

You can learn more about the author at http://heatherhavenstories.com/

What was your favorite book from 2015?