For those of us living in the US, our “spring forward” to daylight savings time is this weekend. Given the number of times I’ve written about jet lag on my blog (jet lag recovery in Bath, quiet supper in a garden in Bath, jet lag recovery in Kew) it probably won’t surprise any one to know that I don’t do well with the transition to daylight savings time in the spring. Over the years, I’ve developed a whole routine:

• Move my bed-time an hour earlier, gradually, over the week or two before the time change
• Move meals a bit earlier, too, to help me adjust
• Exercise a lot
• Use my Neti pot every night and morning (the spring time change corresponds to spring allergies, so I want as much control as possible)
• Read distracting novels

I’ve read two novels recently that would work well, so I’ll give you quick reviews today in case any one else is looking for diversions for a difficult week or two.

Third in the Elemental Blessings series by Sharon Shinn

Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn. As I wrote in my review of the first two novels in the Elemental Blessings series, Sharon Shinn is an author that I turn to when I want a soothing story. I loved the first two books set in the fantastical kingdom of Welce so much that I was a little worried about this book. It was clear from the end of the second book that the third book would be set away from Welce.

Fortunately for me, Corene might try to escape her past, but she can’t fully rid herself of her sweela (fiery) nature born of the Welce spiritual foundation. It was fun to meet new characters from other lands in this world and to watch Corene discover an ability to make loyal friends that she didn’t know she had. Jeweled Fire worked just fine as a calming oasis in my life.

The three books of the Elemental Blessings series are, in order: Troubled Waters, Royal Airs, and Jeweled Fire. According to Sharon Shinn’s news page, the fourth book in this series, Unquiet Land, is due out in the fall.

Fourteenth in the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh

Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh. This is the most recent, #14, in the long-running Psy-Changeling series. In an alternate history and future of our world, the earth supports three races — humans, the Psy with a variety of extraordinary mental abilities including being able to connect with each other on a psychic plane, and changelings who take on human and animal forms. These different races have historical and cultural reasons for deep distrust and nearly total separation. Over the course of the series, the Psy have undergone a fundamental change in the way they function and it has had ripple effects throughout the world and impacts on all three races.

Shards of Hope is the story of Aden and Zaira. Both are Arrows, the elite Psy military squad that was formed to protect Psy interests. The changes in the Psy way of being impact the Arrows more than most. They are faced with internal disagreements about how to re-form themselves as well as mysterious external threats to all three races that only they can handle.

This is definitely a series to read in order because the overarching changes in the world are covered through multiple books. Start with Slave to Sensation, the first book in the series. Shards of Hope intrigued me, in part, because it was more about the politics of the world. Given the troubles we have with race in our world, imagine if it it really were more than a social construct.

According to Goodreads, the fifteenth book in this series, Allegiance of Honor is to be published on July 14.

Do you have particular authors or books that support you during tough times?