I recently finished another draft of my fifth novel and have passed it on to several beta readers for review. In the meantime, I wait…and instead of writing, I read.

Last week, I read the first in Isabella Maldonado’s FBI agent Guerrera’s series, The Cipher. It was a quick, exciting, and action-packed story. I began reading Maldonado’s crime novels this year after finding them on Amazon. She’s quite a prolific author, which means that I have many more of her books to enjoy.

I followed Maldonado’s book with quite a different novel, Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea, one of my favorite authors. As a writer, I envy his elegant and descriptive writing style. As a reader, I relish the emotional impact of his stories. Urrea’s mother was a Red Cross worker during WWII and followed the troops into the European Theatre. Her experience was the inspiration for this novel of friendship, loyalty, bravery, and heartbreak. It is a moving, masterful work.

Now, on to the next read, which is Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno Garcia. I look forward to it.