The Rec Room
Discoverability is a real challenge these days. Below (in no particular order), you'll find a list of some of my favorite books, podcasts, shows, and movies. I hope that it might help you discover an author or creator that's new to you, or an old favorite whose latest release you hadn't heard about yet. Happy hunting!
Romance Books
1 / The Other Side of Disappearing
Kate Clayborn
Nobody crafts an inner landscape like Kate Clayborn. Nobody. This story involves two sisters, a problematic mother, and former NFL player turned journalist. A mystery and a roadtrip keep the plot humming along. But, if this doesn't fit your current reading mood, you might try Georgie, All Along, another excellent book by the amazing Kate Clayborn.
2 / Caught Off Guard
Catherine Cloud
A delightful M/M hockey romance from an author I love. Actually funny. Engaging characters that you care about. Usually slow-burn is a no-no for me, but didn't even give it a thought in this one. That's how much fun I was having. The negative reviews on Amazon are all like, "I wanted more time with the characters!" Same--from me, that's five stars.
3 / What Could Have Been (Lake Lenora Book 1)
Heather Guerre
You may know this author from her excellent, boundary smashing billionaire romance Preferential Treatment. But, don't sleep on this superb small-town series set in an idyllic lakeside community. This, and the follow-up, What Was Meant to Be, are perfect cozy weekend reading. Bonus--it's currently available in Kindle Unlimited.
4 / The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck
Kylie Scott
Kylie Scott is probably best known for her amazing Stage Dive series. But this little gem of a romance with heart, humor, and speculative elements is like a box of Valentine's candy that you get to eat all by yourself--sweet, sexy, indulgent, and over too soon. Love the hero, love the curvy and adorably misguided Lilah Goodluck. You won't be disappointed to spend hours with these two.
5 / Great Sexpectations
Kristin Bailey
I can't remember how I stumbled upon this hilarious read. (Fated Mates Podcast, perhaps?) But I enjoyed every moment of this story of a heroine who is the CEO of her family's sex toy business and the handsome stranger she meets and doesn't tell the whole truth to. Rife with a British brand of humor that I adore, I found it to be laugh-out-loud funny (rare!) and bananas in the best way--the kind that's grounded in heart. Currently digging into this author's backlist for more steamy fun.
6 / Not That Complicated
Isabel Murray
This M/M romance was everything I didn't know I needed. A murder mystery, a sort-of hapless hero, and so many shenanigans. This, and the second in the series, Not That Impossible, are great reads that give British cozy mystery vibes with a delightful helping of romance.
Perennial Romance Faves
2 / Eloisa James
After publishing more than fifty historical romances, and selling more than seven-million copies worldwide, I think she officially qualifies as a doyenne of the genre. Her books are a true escape--a pleasure in every possible way. And, if anyone ever tells you that smart women don't read, write, or love romance, you can tell them about this Harvard, Oxford, AND Yale grad who is a tenured professor of Shakespeare and also writes the hell out of a love story.
3 / Lisa Kleypas
Just the very best at the job. From the macro story level, to the micro sentence level she does the dang business. More than once I have paused while reading to simply marvel at her craft. I once got misty-eyed over a passage of her writing, not because of the sentiment expressed, but because I thought, "I'll never write a sentence as good as that one." Also, a half-dozen or so of her heroes live rent-free in my brain, and I don't mind it one bit.
4 / Sarah MacLean
It is no exaggeration to say that Sarah MacLean knows more about the history, craft, and conventions of the romance genre than anyone else on planet Earth. What's more remarkable, though, is that her proficiency is not just an academic exercise. She uses her deep well of knowledge to understand what readers love and puts it into practice. Her historicals are gorgeous, and I am beyond excited to see what she does in her latest--a contemporary. I just know it will be stellar.
5 / Susan Elizabeth Phillips
If contemporary romance were a mountain range, Susan Elizabeth Phillips would occupy the highest peak. At the sort of altitude that makes you dizzy and breathless. Her work has humor, and heart, and steam. She practically invented the modern messy, exasperated, delightfully clueless hero. She definitely invented the sports romance. Her backlist is a treasure that I return to again and again, and her new works continue to delight and amaze.
Writing Books
1 / Story
Robert McKee
Robert McKee has written subsequent books on writing, but this is the one I return to on those occasions when I forget what the hell it is I do for a living. It makes me feel grounded and gives me that "Oh, yeah. That's how you do it" reminder I need at about the 50% mark of everything I write.
3 / Consider This
Chuck Palahniuk
The subtitle to this fantastic book is "Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different." Reading this book would be on my list of those moments. I have little pink post-it notes throughout. Sometimes, when I have a story problem, I flip through them. More than once I've come away saying, "yep, that's where I f-ed up."
4 / The Screenwriter's Problem Solver
Syd Field
Hmmm. I'm sensing a theme here. As with several of these books, I first read this one in film school for the insight. I come back to it for the reassurance. It's no accident that Field's The Screenwriter's Problem Solver and his excellent Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting have been continuously updated, revised, and reprinted over the last forty years. They are that good.
5 / Why We Write
Meredith Maran, Editor
Writing is, by its nature, a very solitary business. Maybe you have a lot of friends who also write, maybe you don't. Either way, this lovely little volume is an easy to reach for reminder that you are not, in fact, alone. Each of its twenty contributors have written what amounts to a letter of encouragement--directly to you.
Other
Non-Fiction
1 / Jane Austen's Bookshelf
Rebecca Romney
This amazing work on the female literary influences of the great Jane Austen is a delightful read. Rebecca Romney's conversational tour of her adventures in book collecting is the most fun I've had with non-fiction in forever. I have already dusted off my old copies of Cecilia and Evelina to add to the TBR, and can't wait to dive into more of my favorite writer's long-forgotten predecessors.