Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
She doesn't frame her mistakes as redemption arcs. A choice was made, lessons were learned, it worked out or it didn't. You go forward.
The Faerie Handmaid by Louisa Morgan
In a cast of women, the character who felt most fully realized was a young boy. Should you read it? Only if you’re a committed Arthurian.
Half His Age by Jeannette McCurdy
Jeannette McCurdy's Half His Age is a DNF, but not because the writing fails. It succeeds too completely. A review of a book I couldn't finish and why that says nothing about whether you should read it.
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
How many others had foolishly underestimated the Prince of Sloth? Had mistaken his penchant for reading all day for laziness instead of what it truly was— honing the best weapon in his arsenal: his mind.
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
A young widow receives her late husband's final gift: one book a month for a year, each one chosen because he knew her completely. Grab the tissues.
Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) by Kaylie Smith
“Incredible,” Blackwell echoed. “The audacity of men worth less than dirt.”
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli (The Crimson Moth 2)
In my opinion, the revolution went too far. Something needed to change—don’t get me wrong. No one should cower beneath their government’s boots. But the Republic has become what it meant to correct: a nation ruled by fear.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli (The Crimson Moth 1)
She laughed to solidify the part she was playing. But deep down, her soul wilted.
Dawn of the North by Demi Winters
You can use those claws of yours all you wish. Can’t you tell I’m not going anywhere?
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Cats are rarely troubled by the things humans fret over, which apparently included the end of the world, and I found myself comforted by her insouciance.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
Mind your manners, but always, always ask questions if you have them. Good people don’t mind questions.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
When you are ten, shame stitches itself into you like a monogram, broadcasting to the world what holds you, what rules your soul.
Is This A Cry for Help? by Emily Austin
I’d sooner defend the image of me as a hideous, withered hag, rather than the image of me as coy, quiet, sexualized teenaged girl. It’s appalling that I was trained to behave the way I was when I was younger, and I think of it as a societal betrayal, and a depraved way to treat girls.
Why Smart People Still Read Fiction
Reading fiction isn’t escapism—it’s brain training. Discover seven science-backed reasons smart people read stories to build empathy, focus, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Explore how novels expand your thinking and make you not just wiser, but more human.
With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson
Earlier, she’d felt a stirring from watching him wrap a present, for crying out loud, which she told herself was only because she found extreme competence a turn-on.
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
I don’t think being okay means avoiding anyone who might test your version of okay. Sometimes the okay boundary changes. You have to fucking step into it. You have to find your okay again. And again and again. Until we die. Welcome to being human.