On a month of reading whys

And a peek into where I get my reading recommendations

I’ve been keeping a physical reading journal for the last two years and early on, there was one key piece of information I decided I wanted to track alongside the title, author, and my thoughts. For every book I read, I wanted to capture the reason why I picked up that particular title, whether it was a recommendation, a book club pick, or the latest from a longtime favorite author. It’s usually only a sentence or two but it’s always illuminating. This week, I thought it might be interesting to go back through my March reads and share my reason for reading each of them, including where I initially discovered a particular author or series.

1. The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long: This was the latest in one of my very favorite historical romance series but I first discovered Julie Anne Long through Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, the venerable romance site whose reviews I read regularly and trust wholeheartedly.

2. Isola by Allegra Goodman: Olivia Muenter of the Bad on Paper podcast (and of her wonderful eponymous Substack) was raving about this one on an episode of Bad on Paper and described it as the perfect winter read. I’ve been listening to the podcast for years and developed a good sense for when a book that Olivia or Becca loves might be a hit for me too.

3. All Things Are Too Small by Becca Rothfeld: A recommendation from Sara at Fiction Matters, who’s one of my go-to sources for books that’ll stretch and challenge me as a reader, whether that’s with an accomplished prose style, rich subject matter, or original structure.

4. One on One by Jamie Harrow: I picked this one up in March because I thought it might be fun to read a college basketball romance during March Madness and I’ve been reading some sports romances in an attempt to find a comp for my WIP. I think I originally heard about it on author Alicia Thompson’s Substack?

5. Back After This by Linda Holmes: I’d read and enjoyed Holmes’ previous two books but I first heard her on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, which I used to listen to religiously. I also remember a bookseller at my beloved Porter Square Books enthusiastically handselling Evvie Drake Starts Over, her first novel to me.

6. Wildfire and Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews: I was in a romance book club when I lived in Boston and multiple members loved Ilona Andrews, especially the Hidden Legacy series. I’d been meaning to read some Andrews for a while but I have to admit what finally made me pick it up was Avon reissuing Burn for Me in trade paperback, which landed it on the new releases table at The Ripped Bodice.

7. The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel: After really liking Solomon’s Crown last year, I was eager to see what Siegel wrote next and read more of her unique take on historical romance. I found Solomon’s Crown entirely at random at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn and was instantly hooked by the premise. (Philip II and Richard the Lionheart fall in love and it’s angsty.)

8. On Beauty by Zadie Smith: Eventually, I’d like to have read all the Women’s Prize winners and like I talked about in March, this was one I’d had recommended to me over and over. (Also a Fiction Matters recommendation, unsurprisingly!) I first discovered Zadie Smith through my mom, who’s also a big reader and who I pass reading recommendations back and forth with.

9. This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart: One of my reading goals for this year was to read more of romance history and Stewart popped up while I was doing my initial research. I picked This Rough Magic because it was mentioned in a list of Shakespeare retellings and recovering theater nerd that I am, the mere mention of Shakespeare was enough for me to put in a Blackwells order.

10. Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee: I discovered this sapphic romance while doing research for my winter romance round-up and was drawn in by the promise of a vineyard setting and an intriguingly messy love story.

11. The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji: This came from the Women’s Prize longlist and caught my eye because I enjoy a juicy family saga. It wasn’t my favorite read last month but I appreciate the breadth the Women’s Prize brings to its longlists and the chance to explore a title I might not have heard of otherwise.

12. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: I first bought this sci-fi fantasy on the highly enthusiastic recommendation of a bookseller at Porter Square Books. Then it sat on my shelves for years until my best friend was waxing poetic about the entire Locked Tomb series while we were on vacation. It took two different glowing recommendations for me to read it but I was extremely glad I did.

13. Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase: I wanted to read more of Chase’s backlist after being obsessed with Lord of Scoundrels back in January, which was my romance book club’s pick. I’d been aware of Chase as an iconic romance author for a while and actually owned a copy of Lord of Scoundrels because of a shelf talker at Brookline Booksmith. (They work! At least on me.)

14. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett: This was a recommendation from a member of the Fiction Matters literary society, who described it as twisty, fun, and creative. I’ve also been susceptible to a twist on a Holmes and Watson story ever since my Sherlock Holmes phase in middle school.

Looking back through fifteen books’ worth of “reasons for reading”, two things stood out to me: the role of my bookish friends and the role of independent bookstores in what I read. I’ve been trying to move away from letting bookish buzz dictate my reading—although I did read Deep End by Ali Hazelwood earlier this week—and to lean into the joy of random discovery. And I was delighted to see that March had that, as well as some recs from both online and offline friends.

Let me know if this is something you’d like to see more of on occasion and any fun discoveries you’ve made if and when you look at your reasons for reading!

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Currently reading: Family Happiness by Laurie Colwin, as I continue my Colwin journey.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• Black Bag, the stylish and snappy new spy thriller from Steven Soderbergh. I love a spy movie, I love Soderbergh, and I especially love Cate Blanchett being effortlessly cool and wearing knee-high boots.

• Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway, which was incredibly charming and creative. Also one of the best integrations of video/technology I’ve seen on Broadway lately?

• I’ve been on a theater binge lately and also saw the Gypsy revival with Audra McDonald, who is an absolute force of nature. I’d also forgotten just how good the Gypsy script is and yes, I did reread the section from Sondheim’s Finishing the Hat about it.