love notes 20: 4 simple tips for reading more broadly
lots of recommendations, what i read this week, an exciting writing update and more
This week I’ve been obsessed with: listening to the rain, slow mornings, full body stretching, cleaning and tidying, family dinners, throwback playlists, afternoon reading, writing love letters and snacking on lollies.
[This piece gets cut off on email, so you will need to read it on the Substack app or on your desktop.]
When I got back into reading last year, I wanted to make sure I was reading more broadly.
I was tired of only reading young adult fantasy works. It was starting to feel like I was reading the exact same story with every new book I picked up. And that caused my motivation for reading to wan. I went from devouring books in a frenzy to walking past my stacks of books without even a second glance.
So I decided to try exploring new genres, new authors, new perspectives. Even just for a little while — you know, until I discovered my love for reading again. But soon reading more broadly became something I surprisingly ought out. It made reading fun. I now love to read literary fiction, thrillers/mysteries, romance, fantasy, horror, poetry and non-fiction. I love finding works by more marginalised voices and those who have experiences vastly different than my own. I’ll now pick up anything that intrigues me and I can get my greedy little hands on.
And doing this hasn’t been hard. In fact it’s been very, very easy! I think we tend to make things more complex than they should be. I’ve found, for me at least, that reading more broadly doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be done more intentionally.
If you want to start reading more broadly — perhaps you want to read more marginalised voices or fantasy books or start reading literary fiction, it doesn’t matter — I suggest trying some of the following tips. They’ve definitely helped me get outside my reading comfort zone.
1. Change up who you follow for book recommendations. Social media is a gold mine for receiving book recommendations, but sometimes we’re given the same recommendations over and over again thanks to all of these algorithms. That means it’s up to us to find all kinds of creators who can provide us with different book recommendations.
For video content, I really love Dakota Warren as she recommendations classics, poetry and more obscure or unsettling reads that have pushed me outside my comfort zone. A Sunny Book Nook recommends incredible LGBTQ+, feminist, Asian American and non-fiction books, and shares recommendations for Women in Translation Month, Disability Pride Month, Black History Month and Women’s History Month. Leora Aileen recommends great fantasy and cosy witchy books that are often under-appreciated on social media and are not necessarily ‘popular’. Cameron from Slaggy Book Club recommends literary fiction books that showcase a diverse range of voices, cultures and experiences. And Jack Edwards has recently shared a video where he chose one book from every country in Europe.
I don’t use Instagram as much anymore (it can just be very stressful and particularly loud sometimes), but whenever I do I always check to see if these bookish creators have recommended any new literary fiction books: thelitlist_, ellereadsomebooks, backtoreads, quirinebrouwer, bookshelfkeeps, thiefofmemory and catiavra.
However, my favourite place to get book recommendations is Substack. You guys recommend some incredible books. I recommend starting out with some of the following newsletters:
- (great translated fiction recommendations)
- (recommendations for literature by women writers)
Litulla by
(diverse new release recommendations)- (recommendations across a range of genres and very detailed reviews)
- (great romance and fiction recommendations).
2. Search intentionally for book recommendation lists. If you have a topic already in mind that interests you, then search for lists that can help you discover more books to broaden your reading. Then you can pick 1-3 books on the list that speak to you to see if they’re for you. For example, a list of books by Palestinian authors, a list of must-read books set in Nigeria, a list of gothic literature recommendations, a list of lesbian book recommendations, a list of books with unlikeable women and a list of mythology retellings and imaginings.
I also have some book recommendation lists that you might want to check out:
(I’m currently working on some new themed book recommendation lists, but I don’t like sharing them with you until they’re ready!)
3. Participate in themed reading months. To help guide the books you choose and to broaden your reading further, participating in themed monthly reading challenges can be a real game changer. There are so many themed months you might want to participate in, so here are only some examples:
February: Black History Month
March: Women’s History Month
April: Arab American Heritage Month
May: Asian American and Pacific Islander Month
June: Pride Month
July: Disability Pride Month
August: Women in Translation Month
September/October: Hispanic Heritage Month
November: Non-Fiction November
4. Try looking for cost effective options. Sometimes we don’t branch outside of our comfort zones when it comes to reading because books can be so expensive. I get it. Most of the time I’d much rather buy a book that I know I’d love instead of buying one that I’m unsure about. To combat this, I suggest thrifting, regularly searching Facebook marketplace, or using your local library. You might not always find the books you want straightaway, but even if you found some of them that’s better than paying for them outright. Plus not only are these more cost effective options, but they’re also better for the environment. Win-win!
These are some pretty easy to tips to help you start your journey of reading more broadly. The important thing is to not over-complicate this and to remember not to just pick up a book because you think you have to read it. Focus on finding the books you actually want to read. Choose them because they speak to you. Unfortunately not every book is going to interest you and that’s okay.
Do you have any suggestions for reading more broadly? How do you decide what book you want to pick up next? Tell me in the comments!
part i: what i read this week
I finished reading Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty this week. This was such a strange reading experience for me. I started out really unsure and then I really liked it. Then I was super unsure again when I was halfway, wondering if I was possibly even hating it. And then I ended up really loving it again. I’ve never really had a reading experience like that before, but I’m so glad that I persevered because it was worth it. I’m excited to pick up more of Liane Moriarty’s work though, especially Nine Perfect Strangers and Big Little Lies.
I then read Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson. This book was 145 pages of absolute perfection. I’ve never read a book like this before, and I’m not sure if I’ll never read a book like it ever again — the writing reads like poetry, it was so captivating from beginning to end. Every sentence just held so much raw emotion and vivid imagery. The characters were so alive. I now fully understand why so many people love and cherish this book.
I’m now starting Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
part ii: what i wrote this week
In exciting news, I officially started writing my new contemporary book!
There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than staring at that blank Scrivener screen — but I was slowly able to overcome my nervousness and wrote around 5,000 words for the entire week. Now these are not particularly good words, but I really believe that they are the bare bones of something that could be great. Potentially. My fingers are crossed!
I’m just reminding myself that writing is rewriting. And that what I’m doing now is discovering what this story truly is. I can always make it better later.
part iii: what i watched this week
I watched “Cruel Intentions” for the first time, and I really liked this dark and twisted movie with such manipulative, seductive characters. Now it’s not the best movie in the world, but it sure was the best movie for a Friday night. Plus, I’m always down to watch something with such unlikeable characters doing such despicable things to each other. Sarah Michelle Gellar was incredible — I’d rewatch this movie for her alone. And that ending! So good.
I also watched this video for romance readers wanting to get into literary fiction. It has seven great book recommendations. And this video has sixty book recommendations for Women in Translation Month.
And that was this week!
I’m going on another book thrifting adventure tomorrow! And I’m excited to continue working on my book this upcoming week. It feels so nice to be exploring these new characters and losing myself in a story of my own creation. I can’t wait to see where this project goes.
In the meantime, if you’re ready and able to upgrade your subscription to “Lover of Stories”, you can click the button below. It gives you access to my monthly love lists, our ‘read what you want’ styled book club and other occasional pieces. I’m so appreciative of your support!
Until next time,
- Madeline