When was the last time you got completely lost in a great book?
For me, it was the Amanda Bouchet’s the Kingmaker Chronicles. The covers looked so cheesy sitting on the shelf, but people kept telling me the series was amazing, so I finally picked them up.
And woah! I got lost in their depths. Greek Gods, sexy romance, twists and turns. It was great! If you love romance and mythology, I highly suggest picking up a copy of the first book in the series, A Promise of Fire.
Here are some of the other books I loved in 2019:
- Something your high school English teacher would have assigned that you dreaded reading at first but end up loving: Circe by Madeline Miller — I was on a Greek mythology kick the last quarter of the year, and Circe fulfilled every one of my desires. It’s an impressively large book, but it reads fast. I highly suggest it on audiobook, too, as the narrator’s voice is like honey.
- Best book written by someone I know and love: Trinity Sight by Jennifer Givhan — Imagine being pregnant in a post-apocalyptic world with only your indigenous oral histories to guide you. Trinity Sight is beautiful, open hearted, and poetic. It’s not the kind of novel I’d ever have picked up on my own (post-apocalypse stories give me nightmares) but definitely the kind of novel I cannot put down (and no nightmares so far!).
- Step up to a whole new level as a creative entrepreneur: Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan — This book helped me think about my writing business and what I offer you all in a whole new way.
- Redefining the phrase ride or die: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite — This one ended up making me laugh more than I thought it would. I really enjoyed it on audiobook, since it has a lot of words that were foreign to me and I definitely would have messed up their pronunciation in my head.
- Setting new relationship goals: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullaly and Nick Offerman — Hilarious and inspirational, this book is an absolute must listen on audiobook, since they both narrate it and their banter is amazing. But the book has photos of them as a kid, so really you win-win either way.
- Learn to outsell Dan Brown and E.L. James: The Bestseller Code: Anatomy of a Blockbuster Novel by Jodie Archer — This book taught me so much about plot and building suspense, and made me a better writer. I highly suggest it if you’re stuck in that murky middle of the novel writing process.
- Romance starring a diverse cast: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev Sonali — Warning, this book will make you hungry in more ways than one.
- I read a lot of diverse romance books this year, so it was really hard to list just one. Here are the runner ups:
I read 63 books this year. 63! I can’t believe it. Obviously, I can’t list all 62 here, so check out my Goodreads for a complete list.
Reading is one of the greatest ways to improve as a writer. How often do you read? Here are my top 3 tips for making more time to read:
- Set a concrete goal. Whether it’s 1 book a month or 1 book a week, having a goal will help you make time to read. I set my goal evey year using the Goodreads Challenge. It’s helped me go from 6 books my first year doing the challenge to 63 books in 2019!
- Incorporate audiobooks into your daily routine. I HIGHLY suggest buying your audiobooks through Libro.fm. It’s the same price as Audible, but you own the files, so you can share them with friends, and your purchases support a local independent bookstore of your choosing — two things Audible doesn’t let you do. You can try it out with a free audiobook using this link.
- Bring your friends in to help. My coworkers and I set up a monthly book club. My sister and I compete for who can read the most books each month. Having other people help keep me accountable to reading is one way I get so many books finished each year.
So, how many books are you going to read in 2020?
Whatever your goal, I’m here to cheer you on.
With love and reading glasses,
Lauren
P.S. I’ve said it before, but I’m going to keep saying it, audiobooks are the best way to fit more reading into your life. And Libro.fm is the best place to get your audiobooks. The best part is, you can share your files with friends, encouraging them to read more as well. It’s a win-win. Sign-up for your free audiobook today.
Some of the above links are affiliate links, which means I get a % if you buy something using that link. But rest assured, I only suggest things I absolutely love.
