What I've Been Reading & Loving Lately

Hi there! It’s been a minute. :)

I’m emerging from the book deadline cave (and book release frenzy) and finally have time to write something that is not a book! *blinks in the sunlight*

The good news is that, even though I’ve been writing most waking hours of the day for a couple of months, I have managed to carve out reading time along the way. (Because if I stop reading, the muse stops giving me words for my writing.) So, today I have some books to recommend!

Fave Fiction So Far

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

Warning: This is a pandemic book. I bought this last year and had to put it on my shelf for a later date because I just couldn’t have handled this book in the early days of the COVID crisis. But last month, I decided to finally pick this up. I’m a person who gets anxiety relief from reading (or watching) horror stories (a concept I actually explore in my next book What If You & Me with the heroine), so your mileage may vary if you’re not wired that way. But I thought this epic book was very well done, and any author who can get me to read 782 pages of anything these days is doing something right. This hits the sweet spot between character-driven and plot-driven. It slowed a little in the middle for me, and I switched to audio to get through that part, but then after that, I raced to the end. If you’re looking for something like Stephen King’s The Stand, this is for you.

About the book:

Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other “shepherds” who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.

For as the sleepwalking phenomenon awakens terror and violence in America, the real danger may not be the epidemic but the fear of it. With society collapsing all around them—and an ultraviolent militia threatening to exterminate them—the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart—or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

This year, I created a TBR Backlog Reading Challenge so that I could tackle those books that have been sitting on my shelves for years. This book was one of them. It had been sitting on my shelf since 2015! That’s a long time to hold onto a book. But once I picked up this YA contemporary romance, I was hooked. I read through it in a day. A sweet, emotional romance.

About the book:

Two shattered hearts are about to collide in this achingly poignant young adult novel. Monroe and Nathan are two lost souls each struggling with grief and guilt from a mistake that changed their lives – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.

For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart―leaving her empty and broken. There's a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her grandma isn't going to change that...

Nathan Everets knows heartache firsthand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it's all his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn't deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn't going to change that...

There's No Going Back

Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt―looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn and It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

I had read most of the Bridgerton novels years ago (and loved them!) but I had left a few unread. After watching the Netflix show, I got a hankering for those Bridgertons again. :) Luckily, I already had these on my shelf. I raced through them and had such a good time reading them. I only have one left and am waiting to savor it. Julia Quinn is one of those authors who I can always rely on to give me a great read.

Fave Non-Fiction So Far

My Life in France by Julia Child

The ultimate comfort read—or listen, in this case, because I listened to this on audio (highly recommend!) I love that this book was so many things—personal memoir, a peek into a time in history, a foodie memoir, a travel memoir, a love story, and the tale of a wonderful, strong, talented woman. The whole thing was a delight.

Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer

When I finished this, I immediately wanted to go out and buy a copy for all my friends. This essay collection was such a tribute to the beauty and richness of female friendships that I just wanted to hug it to my chest. I love how it explored how female friendships have been portrayed in the media (cat fights, mean girls, etc) and how, for most of us, that hasn’t been our experience. Instead, we are uplifted by the women we’re closest to. Readers often comment on the way I write supportive female friendships into my books, and I think I do that because I have wonderful friends in my life but also because it’s something we don’t see portrayed often enough on screen and in books.

Share Your Stuff by Laura Tremaine.

Speaking of friendships, I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook about digging deeper and sharing your stuff in a journal, with friends, or in other aspects of your life. This book is hard to describe. The official description says part memoir and part guidebook, and I think that’s apt, but also doesn’t fully convey the mood. I listen to Laura Tremaine’s podcast 10 Things to Tell You and enjoy it, so that’s what made me pick up this book. If this sounds interesting to you but you’re unsure, I encourage you to check out her podcast first. If you like the vibe, you’ll probably like this book. Recommended in audio since she narrates it herself and podcasters give good audio. :)

Solve For Happy by Mo Gawdet

This is another one that is a little hard to describe. It’s a book about happiness but uses math and physics and philosophy to tackle it. This is one I couldn’t rush through because the concepts took some time to wrap my head around. But I LOVED so much of this. It’s one I will probably reread so I can take notes the second time around.

Group by Christie Tate

I was a therapist before I was a writer, so therapy memoirs are my jam, and I hadn’t read one before that tackled group therapy. This one took me a little while to get into. The author made some life choices that made me want to yell at her “not to go there” like when I watch a horror movie, but I’m glad I stuck with the read. I ended up really enjoying the journey. I was also fascinated by the style of therapy because it wasn’t the kind I was trained in.

Light the Dark edited by Joe Fassler

My fellow writers, this was such an inspiring read. It’s a collection of essays from well-known writers (mostly literary fiction writers) about the different aspects of inspiration and the writing life. I felt so “seen” in the way some of them described their writing processes. This will be one I want to read through again.


Those are my faves so far. I hope you’ve found something that looks good to you!

What’s been your favorite read so far this year?

Yes & I Love You is now available!

It’s finally here!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a new book out in the world, but I hope you’ll find this new series worth the wait. :)

I’ve had a number of people ask me what they should expect from this series as compared to my others. This is definitely a romance series (happy endings promised!), there are neurodiverse characters (Hollyn has Tourette’s and social anxiety, Jasper has ADHD), there’s a lot of humor (the hero is an improv actor after all), and of course there are steamy scenes (because I haven’t met a closed door I didn’t want to open, lol.) But there are also emotional backstories (a common thread through all my series) and fun female friendships (like The Ones Who Got Away series) so a women’s fiction reader who wants to dip into romantic fiction might enjoy this book too! :)

Here’s the official summary:

A beautifully emotional new contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren.

Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn, the real face behind the media star...or the fear that keeps her isolated. When her boss tells her she needs to add video to her blog or lose her job, she's forced to rely on an unexpected source to help her face her fears.

When aspiring actor Jasper Deares finds out the shy woman who orders coffee every day is actually Miz Poppy, he realizes he has a golden opportunity to get the media attention his acting career needs. All he has to do is help Hollyn come out of her shell…and through their growing connection, finally find her voice.

You can read the first chapter here if you want to check it out.

Or, you could just buy it and read the whole thing!

Buy the book:  Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Indiebound | Books-A-Million | Google Play

Audiobook: Audible | Books-A-Million | B&N

Put it on your list! Add to Goodreads

What-to-Read Decision Fatigue & Why I Love Reading Challenges

A few weeks ago, I launched the TBR Backlog Reading Challenge here on the blog and talked about how I was taking a break from my normal reading challenge, the Read Wide Challenge. I had a number of reasons for this (wanted to do something new, didn’t want to feel stress at the end of the year, etc.) but one of the other reasons was because I wanted to be less restricted in picking what to read.

Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time…

But last night as I sat down with my book journal to record something I’d read, I realized I missed my Read Wide Challenge. The TBR Backlog Challenge is going well (though it’s showing me how my tastes have changed over the years because I’m getting a good number of DNFs), but I felt myself getting overwhelmed by the thought of picking what I was going to read next. My TBR list is currently 832 books long. And even narrowing down to year of purchase (the metric for my TBR Backlog challenge), it was still a lot to choose from.

That’s when it hit me—why I was missing the Read Wide challenge. I missed the guidance it offered on what to read next. Not having that more focused lens was creating decision fatigue.

What’s decision fatigue?

“Coined by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, decision fatigue is the emotional and mental strain resulting from a burden of choices.” —Healthline

Too many choices = stress. Too few would also create stress, I imagine. For instance, I wouldn’t want a list of “these are the five books you must read next” because then I’d feel like it was homework and wouldn’t want to do it. But somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot. It’s why I prefer grocery shopping at a store like Sprouts instead of a big box grocery store. I only have three types of ketchup to pick from instead of twenty.

I realized that’s what my reading challenges do for me. They give me light guidance. “Oh look, I haven’t checked off the box for contemporary romance yet, maybe I should go look at what I have on my shelf in that category.” They allow flexibility but reduce decision fatigue.

Which means, I'm adding the Read Wide Challenge to my goals for 2021 (and keeping the TBR Backlog challenge as well.) :) I definitely am looking forward to less decision fatigue and hopefully some great reading!

So, if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed on what to read next (which can lead to reading nothing at all and turning to your phone or TV), consider giving yourself a smaller slate to pick from through a reading challenge. There are a ton out there. The ones I’ve created are here: The TBR Backlog Challenge and The Read Wide Challenge. Both are customizable.

And here are the pages I did in my journal last night for the Read Wide 2021 challenge. I changed up my categories this year to freshen it up. (Also, for those who nerd out about these things like I do, yes, I am allowing books to count for both the TBR Backlog Challenge and the Read Wide challenge.)

So have you ever felt decision fatigue over what to read next? Do you find reading challenges helpful? Which reading challenges are you doing this year?

My Top 5 Reads of 2020 + More Favorites to Stock Your Bookshelves

At the end of each year, I like to flip through my book journal and see which books stood out the most. I assign star ratings in my journal, so it’s easy to see which rise to the top. Of the 69 books I’ve read so far this year, 22 have received 4 stars or above, but only 5 have received a 5-star rating. I’m pretty stingy with my 5-star ratings. For me, a four-star rating means I thoroughly enjoyed the book. A five-star means it wowed me. And though I know it’s not the end of the year quite yet (sorry December releases!), I know a lot of us are buying books for holiday gifts or putting some on our own Christmas list, and we might need ideas. So, I’m sharing my favorites today!

My Top 5 Reads of the Year

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (fantasy)

This was a Book of the Month club read, and reemphasized why I’ve been a longtime member of Book of the Month club. This is not a book I would’ve found on my own because I don’t generally read much in this genre. (That’s a referral link if you want to check out BOTM. I’ve been a member for years and LOVE it.) This was a beautifully written fantasy story about a girl who makes a deal with the devil. She gets to live forever but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Until after 300 years…one boy remembers her name. The story moved through history so had great settings and period details. There’s a well done romance that wasn’t predictable. And though there was (thankfully) no blatant cliffhanger, the door was left open for a sequel. And I am so here for it if that happens. Loved the whole journey!

Most of All You by Mia Sheridan (contemporary romance)

I read this one in about 24 hours. It was such a page turner. My personal “catnip” in romance is dark, emotional backstories. I tend to write them, and I love to read them. This one hit the spot in that regard with a hero who was kidnapped as a child and a heroine with abuse in her past. I like that the author didn’t make expected choices and that the story kept me guessing. (I’m hard to surprise these days so bonus points for that!) This was a well-done, emotional love story.

Beach Read by Emily Henry (contemporary romance/women’s fiction)

Another Book of the Month pick. Though this was marketed as a romance, I feel like it was kind of a hybrid between romance and women’s fiction. I don’t mind that (in fact, I feel like some of my more recent books lean toward that as well.) This was the book that got me out of a reading slump back in May when I was having trouble reading with all the pandemic anxiety. The story was well-written, funny, and romantic while still having poignant undertones. Really enjoyed it.

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl (memoir)

From my book journal: “This was exactly what I needed to read right now during this pandemic.” This is a food memoir, a favorite genre of mine, and it was just exactly the perfect book to read in 2020. Ruth Reichl has written a number of food memoirs, but this one was about the year after Gourmet, the magazine she was editor of, closed down suddenly. This memoir is about grief and slowing down and appreciating the small things. Gorgeous writing. There are recipes but come for the stories first.

Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday (philosophy/self-improvement)

I really enjoy Ryan Holiday’s books. He uses the wisdom of ancient philosophers to tackle contemporary issues in our lives, and does so in a way that makes the material really accessible. In Stillness Is the Key, he focuses on finding, you guessed it, stillness. In our always-on world, this book is much needed. I underlined a ton of passages (my book darts got quite a workout!) and I wish I could imprint some of the information onto my brain so I don’t forget it when I get swept up in the whirlwind of life.

More Fantastic Reads

These just missed the 5-star mark but were all 4 or 4.5 stars for me. You’ll notice more horror than usual. I was writing a heroine who is a horror author, so I read a lot of horror for inspiration. :)

Fiction

Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade (YA/new adult) - I love a book set on a college campus and this was one was made for me because I’d just finished binge-watching Felicity a few months before. The heroine used characters from Felicity when she was talking about her “friends” to her mom to hide the fact that she didn’t have any friends. But now she’s going to college. A well-done portrayal of social anxiety.

Diamond in the Rough by Skye Warren (dark erotic romance) - Warren’s books are dark, dark, dark, but I like a good dark erotic romance, so this fit the bill. Warning, it has a cliffhanger and is part of a trilogy.

Normal People by Sally Rooney (literary fiction) - Book of the Month pick - This is the rare circumstance where I’m going to recommend watching the TV adaptation of this book BEFORE reading the book. I know that’s sacrilege, but I think watching the show first enhanced my experience of the book. I could better picture the atmosphere and characters. Also, warning, this book has an abrupt non-ending (as does the show), but I still appreciated the journey enough to get past that and have chosen to believe what I want about how the couple ends up. :)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA mystery) - Book of the Month pick - Clearly inspired by the Serial podcast, this was a fast-paced mystery that kept me turning the pages. And that’s a feat because I’m not typically a mystery reader. I immediately had to track down book 2, which I had to buy from the UK since it’s not out here yet lol.

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips (thriller) - INTENSE. A mom and her son get trapped in a zoo at closing time when mass shooters enter. Great setting and fantastic writing. Plus, love the cover.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix - I really enjoy Hendrix’s books. Lots of humor but also real deal horror. I loved that this one was set in the 90s around a true crime book club of ladies. He nailed the concept of southern hospitality having “sharp teeth.”

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons (horror) - Written in the seventies but regularly pops up on lists of great haunted house stories. The growing dread in this one was legit.

Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke (horror short story) - Creepy. And a true horror premise - what if that screaming child in the grocery store is suddenly calling you mom or dad?

Followers by Megan Angelo (dystopian) - The best dystopians are ones you could imagine happening. This fit into that category because social media really does feel like it could go there.

Non-fiction

Why We Can’t Sleep by Ada Calhoun - This was focused on the midlife crisis of Gen X, so I related. I liked how she focused on the generational aspects.

Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey - Really liked his concepts of hyperfocus and scatterfocus. I teach a class on focus for writers so this type of book is my jam.

Keep Moving by Maggie Smith - Short, uplifting essays and quotes about loss, creativity, and getting through changes. Lovely. Would make a good gift book.

I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron - The last book Ephron wrote before she passed away. It was a quick, funny, and entertaining read.

The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker - Full of little exercises to enhance your creativity.

Losing Earth by Nathaniel Rich - Well-researched, fast read about the history of global warming

Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Right Now by Jaron Lanier - favorite quote” “Social media is making you into an asshole.” Very cerebral so don’t pick this one up for a light read, but it had great food for thought.

24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week by Tiffany Schlain - Loved the idea of taking a day off of tech each week.

Books on Writing

Dear Writer, You’re Doing it Wrong by Becca Syme - I always get something from Becca’s books, and they are good for getting me out of a writing rut.

The Scream Writer’s Handbook by Thomas Fenton - A short little book about writing horror screenplays that I got a lot out of.

Whew! I know that’s a lot. I hope you found something on the list that caught your interest or that would make a great gift for someone you love.

I’d love to hear your favorite reads of 2020! Let me know what got your top ratings this year. :)

What To Read: A Beachy Book, A Murdery Book, & One to Help with the Sads

Reading has always been my go-to method for fun and comfort. So it’s been interesting that during this pandemic, I’ve been less likely to pick up a book. It’s as if because the world is flipped upside down, my normal habits are too. So even though I was way ahead of pace on my reading challenge by March, now I find myself seven books behind.

I think this is partly because it’s hard to get lost in something when there’s so much going on in the world. Also, my kiddo is home all day with me and my husband is home a lot more, so quiet reading time is hard to come by. So, for a book to really capture me right now means it’s a REALLY great book.

The good news is that I’ve had two of those make that cut recently. Both were through my Book of the Month club subscription, so I guess they’re doing something right over there! (That link is a referral link, but this post isn’t sponsored.)

First up is Beach Read by Emily Henry. This one caught my attention because the heroine is a romance novelist, so of course, I needed to read that. What was a cute set up (see summary below) turned out to be a more poignant story than the cover would have you believe, but you know I love that. I write those kinds of books—ones that are romantic but also contain darker emotions and backstories. Though I can enjoy the lighter, lower conflict romances, my sweet spot is ones that have more angst. So I really enjoyed this read.

About the book:

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. 

They're polar opposites. 

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

Next up was one that I raced through. I’ll preface this by saying I’m not typically a mystery reader. Usually, I’m like—meh, I don’t care who did it. Because mysteries, in general, tend to be a lot more plot-focused than character-focused, and I’m just a character-hungry reader. However, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, a YA mystery, had a great balance of both character and plot. Plus, I love true crime podcasts, and this definitely seemed inspired by season one of the podcast Serial.

I didn’t guess the ending, and I was interested in knowing who did it, but I also loved the characters (there’s also a touch of romance.) I actually enjoyed them so much that I went through the trouble of ordering a UK copy of book two from Book Depository because I don’t want to wait for the U.S. version to release lol. So, if that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is.

About the book:

For readers of Kara Thomas and Karen McManus, an addictive, twisty crime thriller with shades of Serial and Making a Murderer about a closed local murder case that doesn't add up, and a girl who's determined to find the real killer--but not everyone wants her meddling in the past.

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.

Finally, this isn’t a fiction recommendation, but with everyone going through so much right now, I know I’m not the only one struggling with bouts of anxiety and sadness. So, if you’re looking for some simple ways to boost your mood, the book The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb had a lot of great, scientifically-based suggestions. He gets a little technical with the neurotransmitter talk and such, but you don’t need to understand all of that to understand the tactics and techniques he’s suggesting. I found this was a quick read with lots of helpful things to try.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for you today. I hope you have a great weekend!

What have you read lately that you were able to get lost in?