Some Books Are Meant To Be Tasted

My guest blogger today is Catrina Taylor, she's a single mom and author of the science fiction universe around Xarrok. (See info at the bottom of this post to find out more about her and her books). Catrina, thank you for taking the time to blog.

Today Catrina shares one of her recent reads with us...  

“Some books are meant to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”

Francis Bacon, 1561-1626

That is one of my favorite quotes. He was absolutely accurate in the assessment too. I’ve read many books and will always continue to do so. I enjoy books, one page, one bite, one tidbit at a time. Currently I’m between books, so I’m going to share a recent read with you. One I enjoy, savor and adore. The book I’m going to reference for this discussion is the Spinward Fringe series by Randolph Lalonde.

Why a series and not a book? Because the series is something to experience. As a reader, I love getting to know a world, characters and environments. Once I know then, I want to follow every part of their story, their life and their history. The more I read, the more I want to read. Obviously, that directs me further to books that have multiple stories, or parts of stories, thus series. Series often fall into the above quote perfectly for me. Now, onto Spinward Fringe.

Spinward Fringe has a world of characters that are dynamic, impressive, and exciting to follow. Their universe compels you to turn each page with anticipation and their voices ring loudly in your head, long after the last page is turned. The first book in the series is FREE. I’ve bought two more since then and his aren’t the cheapest books available. They are books that make me seek more.

Here is a fun excerpt:

I crossed the hallway to check the next corner and felt something brush right past me but didn’t’ see it. Oz icked up on my reaction and fired his shot gun right beside me. The noise was so sudden and brutal it was painful. He caught what brushed by me full in the back.

Without hesitation, Oz turned in the other direction, fired once then fired down the third hallway. His third shot seemed to cause the air itself to erupt with bits of blood and debris and I opened fire on the area. My left ear rung and my left arm stung like crazy, but I cut a line of fire across the middle of the hall and one of the targets became fully visible. He was wearing an all black vacuum suit. My shots had hit the control on his wrist. The way he was lying showed that another body had fallen under him.

“Stealth suits? I’ve never heard of it being done so well.” I said while trying to guess the outline of the invisible body trapped under his comrade. “Grab the controller on the invisible one’s arm.” I pointed with my side arm to where the body should lie.

Oz felt around and after a moment he yanked hard without success. He took aim with the shotgun and I ducked around the corner. It was as he blasted the man’s arm off with two shots that I realized that Oz’s first shot actually caught me with high velocity buckshot. Glancing down I could see at least a dozen small holes. “You shot me!” I shouted, through I could barely hear myself.

Oz came around the corner with the fallen man’s arm, controller still attached, and gave me a sheepish grin, “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” He shrugged. “Let’s get to the ship.”

Oz fired once down the last hallway, but didn’t catch anything. We sprinted down to the lift. I held my arm as we descended and looked down to see that it was covered in blood from many little entry wounds. “You shot me!” I repeated at Oz in angry disbelief. “With an antique weapon!”

Oh when I read that section it was all I could do not to laugh enough to make my family look at me strange…then again, they may have anyway. Since this book I’ve enjoyed the next two quickly, unable to put them down until I turned the last page. I will warn you, if you decide to pick up one of the Spinward Fringe books you’ll learn quickly that Randolph Lalonde is an expert at creating cliff hangers.

What I’d like to know:

What do you enjoy reading? Do you enjoy series or prefer stand alone books? Do you lean toward a specific genre, or nibble from all genre?

About my Guest:

Currently Catrina is working on two separate series in the universe with more to come. The first is her Birth of an Empire series, the second is her short story Origins series. At this time book one has been released in Birth of an Empire and book two is anticipated July 2012. You can find her books through all major book retailers.

To learn more about Catrina you can visit her on facebook, twitter or G+ or stop by the website to learn more about her world. Http://Xarrok.com