What I've been reading

Yearly reading lists keep me honest. The 2015 and 2016 lists are still up if you want to dig through what I loved — and what I didn't.

"We read to know that we are not alone." — C.S. Lewis

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Book communities thrive when readers share what they love, and few things spark conversation like a favorite series. From assassins in hidden courts to princesses navigating royal expectations, the worlds that capture attention tend to blend high stakes with emotional depth. Fantasy, contemporary romance, and coming of age stories all find space to coexist in a well rounded reader's life, and the joy is often in discovering which recommendations come from friends, bloggers, or that one unforgettable novel passed along by someone who truly understood your taste.

Romance novels have become a dominant force in publishing, drawing readers who crave love stories that feel both escapist and deeply personal. Whether the narrative follows childhood sweethearts reconnecting, a heroine learning to trust again, or two unlikely people finding each other across a sprawling city, the genre offers endless ways to explore connection. Readers often arrive through booktube recommendations or bestseller lists, then discover a hunger for lesser known voices who bring fresh perspective to beloved tropes and timeless themes of hope and second chances.

Young adult fiction continues to evolve, reflecting the concerns and experiences of its readers while pushing boundaries in storytelling. Modern YA explores identity, friendship, family expectations, and the courage it takes to chart your own course. Series featuring morally complex heroes, mythological adventures, and richly imagined kingdoms have introduced countless readers to the magic of sustained storytelling. Many return to these series as adults, finding new meaning in familiar pages and appreciating the craft of authors who shaped their formative years.

Fantasy readers often speak of their favorite series with the same intensity others reserve for lifelong friendships. Epic quests, shadowy underworlds, glass thrones, and courtly intrigue invite readers to lose themselves for hours at a time. What keeps fans loyal is not just worldbuilding but the emotional weight carried by characters they grow to love. Novellas and short extensions to beloved series offer glimpses into side characters, deepening the lore and rewarding readers who want every scrap of story the author is willing to share.

Reading challenges and yearly goals have become a beloved tradition among book lovers, offering structure and motivation to explore new genres. Tracking what was finished each month, rating favorites, and revisiting old lists can be surprisingly rewarding, illuminating how taste evolves over time. Some readers aim for breadth, sampling widely across literary fiction, mystery, memoir, and poetry. Whatever the approach, the act of looking at the year as a whole encourages reflection and makes picking the next book feel like part of a longer journey.

Booktube and bookstagram have transformed the way readers discover new titles and discuss their favorites. Honest reviews, monthly wrap ups, and unboxings create a sense of community that feels intimate despite the scale of the platforms. Viewers often trust creators who share both glowing praise and gentle critique, valuing authenticity. This new wave of reader driven conversation has elevated lesser known titles, highlighted diverse voices, and turned reading into a shared social experience that bridges generations and continents with ease.

Series reading offers a particular kind of satisfaction that standalone novels rarely match. Watching characters grow across multiple installments, witnessing betrayals and reconciliations, and anticipating the next release becomes part of a reader's emotional calendar. When a series wraps, readers often feel genuine loss, missing the fictional friends they have come to know. Returning to a completed series for a reread can be a comforting experience, revealing details that were missed the first time and deepening appreciation for the author's long term planning.

A personal book blog serves as both archive and conversation, a place to document reading life and connect with others who share the same passion. Posts about recent reads, anticipated releases, and beloved monthly favorites build a record that can be revisited years later. Readers find comfort in seeing familiar names in the comments and discovering recommendations through community. A well maintained blog becomes a quiet companion to the reading life, reflecting the reader's evolving tastes while remaining anchored in the simple joy of a good story.