I probably shouldn't be reading. I'm so close to being done with Book 2 in the fallen angels series that it is getting painful. Don't get me wrong–I still have some work to do–but the end is so close that I feel like I should have finished it already. Anyways, despite this I've started looking at a few of the books I downloaded over the summer.

The good news? So far, they've all been really good. And yes, that is the bad news too, because it's kind of difficult to focus on your own work when you're in the middle of a great story. So, what I've started doing is "rewarding" myself with these books. Every time I finish my goal for the day, I let myself read a chapter. So far it's been working, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit irritated as well, because I don't want to stop reading these books.

So (alright, I just became aware of the fact that I've started a startling number of sentences with "so", but I'm not going to fix it because I need to get back to work right after this update!), for those of you who are wondering what these fabulous ebooks are, here's the list:

The Understorey (The Leaving Series) by Fisher Amelie

I'll be honest, the prologue (or should I say the prelude to the prologue?) kind of turned me off. Fellow readers, if the first, you know, 3 paragraphs or so of a book doesn't hook you, that doesn't automatically mean the book is bad. Alright, it could, but in this case it just meant that I was being ridiculous. Why? Who knows. Maybe I was jealous of Amelie's gorgeous cover, or her awesome name. In any event, MJ recommended it to me in the comments of my other indie book post a few weeks ago, so I decided to give it another shot. I am so glad I did. This book is incredibly hard to put down, and sometimes the characters feel so real it's almost scary. Everything–the writing, the character development, the plot–feels natural and effortless. But don't take my word for it–check out the 13 or so 5-star reviews on Amazon. Oh, and that prologue that initially threw me off? I am now SO WORRIED about what is going to happen next even though nothing too bad has happened yet just because of it…and that's what I call great writing

Deep Blue Secret (The Water Keepers, Book 1) by Christie Anderson

Somehow, I came across this blog post by Anderson and found it so honest and inspiring that I picked up her book. I'm so glad I did–so incredibly glad that I don't even mind that I've used the word "so" again–because this book is just lovely. The writing is evocative and thoughtful, and the mysterious romance between the leads is elegantly executed. Sometimes you just get a feeling deep in your bones that a book is going to be amazing, and I'm definitely feeling that now.

In the Cold Light of Tomorrow by K. A. McDicken

This one isn't a ya book. I met Kath through twitter and liked her immediately, and no, not because she said she enjoyed my book. Kath is generous with her time, kind and considerate to everyone, funny, and tough. If you don't believe me, check out her blog! Anyways, I've been looking forward to reading her book for a while, and I've  finally started. It's a fast-paced, thought-provoking, murder mystery, post-apocalyptic novel about human (and animal!) mutant survivors–and no, it's not like X-men. I don't have anything against X-men, but this book is pretty different. The mutants feel very real, and Kath's world building is just fantastic.

Ain't No Sunshine by Leslie DuBois

Get ready for your heart to break. This book is intense. Really, really intense. The story takes place in the south during the 1960′s, and focuses on the forbidden love between of Stephen, a white boy, and his best friend, the African American girl who lives next door who has always been there for him. Their love is beautiful and sweet, and exists in a world where everything is against them. These two must face racism, abuse, murder charges, and a devastating family secret. I haven't reached the end, and I'm praying that they make it.

Providence by Jamie McGuire

I'm thinking of making an "Recommended Angel" list soon, and so far it looks like Providence is going to secure a spot on it, which really shouldn't be surprising considering it's by the same person who brought us Beautiful Disaster.

Bright Young Things with Bonus Material by Anna Godbersen

This one isn't an indie book. The description describes it as Gossip Girl meets The Great Gatsby, and I think that's pretty accurate. It's also pretty amazing that I picked up the book after it was compared to those two stories. I have pretty ambivalent feelings towards Gossip Girl (I'm familiar with it but wasn't really intrigued enough to read the books or seen the TV show), and my hatred of The Great Gatsby is legendary. But all of that doesn't matter. What does matter is that this book is beautifully written and completely seductive. Do yourself a favor and read the first paragraph, sigh because it's amazing, read it again, and then go ahead and download the book from Amazon because….RIGHT NOW IT'S FREE!!!

So that's the end of my list. Think I'm reading enough books at once?

Also, I want to take a moment to thank MJ and aricmitchell for recommending so many great books. I'm looking forward to going through all of them once I finish these.