A Look Into My Reading Life
Guest post from a long-time Reading Through Life supporter
Note from Sarah and Mia:
We really appreciate all of you in the RTL community. Your support means so much to us and we really wanted to incorporate some other voices into this space from time to time. So, we asked Carrie to share a little bit about herself and her reading life and we hope you enjoy getting to know more about her in this guest post. We love how this common interest we have, reading, can look so different in the day-to-day lives of each of us and our reading preferences and we appreciate Carrie letting us take a peek into her bookworm life. Take it away, Carrie!
When Mia approached me asking to contribute to Reading Through Life (RTL) I was equally surprised, hopeful, excited, and terrified! Terrified may be too strong a word, but this is definitely outside of my comfort zone. I have little (ahem, no) writing experience, but what I do have is a love for reading and the bookish community. I’m excited for the opportunity to share a bit about myself and the books I love, and hope you will enjoy getting a look into my reading life.
How it all started
Don’t worry, I won’t go back to the VERY beginning of my readerly life, but I do want to start with what led me to reading 100+ books a year.
The year is 2021, I was a new mom and completely overwhelmed. My first child was born December, 2020 - what a time! Still deep in the pandemic and new motherhood, I needed to find a way to prioritize my interests and hold space for myself. Here’s an example where a New Year’s Resolution actually stuck! I made a simple decision to “read more” and challenged myself to find new-to-me authors/genres/themes, not just picking up the latest celebrity book pick. AND here’s where RTL enters the chat. I found Sarah and Mia’s podcast on the home page of my app and, as they say, the rest is history.
My TBR (to be read list) exploded as I listened to their episodes while I took daily walks with my sleeping baby. This led to the discovery of even more book-related podcasts, expanding my reading tastes and desire to consume as many books as possible. How could this not happen when the podcast hosts are so great at recommending and talking about books?!
What my reading looks like today
If you’ve been around a while you probably have an idea of Sarah’s and Mia’s tastes. I love how different they are and seeing where they overlap!
To introduce myself, I’m going to do a rapid fire Q&A.
Q: Sarah or Mia reader?
A: BOTH! But I probably align slightly more with Mia. I’m always looking for dark, unusual picks. I connect with Sarah’s love for new releases and I can tell we listen to at least one of the same podcasts. 🙂
Q: Favorite Genre?
A: Currently it’s literary fiction and horror, but I’ll read almost any genre!
Q: One book at a time or more?
A: CHAOS! I try to stick to no more than 3 books but when everything sounds so good it can creep up higher.
Q: Mood reader or planned TBR?
A: A little bit of both, I loosely plan some books to prioritize each month but mostly it’s whatever holds come in from my library.
Q: Favorite format?
A: I prefer to read in print, hardcover if possible. I do listen to audiobooks but it’s typically nonfiction, or has to be very plot-driven to hold my attention.
Q: Goals or priorities when picking what to read?
A: Mostly I don’t put pressure on my reading, it’s just for fun! But it is important to me to read diversely. I’ve recently been looking for more translated lit. I also enjoy reading the buzzy books so I can join in on all the fun bookish conversations here on Substack and Instagram.
This wouldn’t be a RTL post without some great book recommendations, so I’ve added some of my own below.
All-time favorites (just to name a few…)
The Unseen World by Liz Moore
A powerful father-daughter story taking place during the early development of AI. This is chock full of mystery, secrets, and puzzles. Liz Moore at her best!
The Change by Kirsten Miller
After several young women are murdered in a town on Long Island, a group of women band together to solve their murders. This one has magical realism, and the ultimate revenge plot, the characters are the BEST.
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
This is a reflection on a tragic, whirlwind romance that takes place in the bars and nightclubs of 1950s Paris. I read this in one sitting and will never forget this classic.
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett
Told from the perspective of the ghosts in a rural New England cemetery, this is a coming-of-age story that is quirky and fun while also masterfully handling heavy topics.
Favorite books read in 2025, so far
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Historical literary fiction that takes place in the Dutch countryside post WWII. I think it’s best not to know too much about this book before reading, but it covers themes of desire, obsession, and suspicion with a jaw-dropping ending.
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
A mix of sci-fi and literary fiction, with two stories alternating and converging together. This is a mind-bending look at what is art, who does it belong to, and what makes us human.
Havoc by Christopher Bollen
For fans of White Lotus, this story follows an older protagonist staying at a hotel in Egypt, befriending and meddling in other guest’s lives. All is going well until a mom and her young son check in, what follows is a deliciously menacing cat-and-mouse chase.
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima
A short-story collection that is cleverly woven together. A young writer meets the devil (yes, actually) at a party and writes stories for him throughout meaningful points in her life.
Most anticipated upcoming/new releases
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (published 4/29)
Described as slow-burn horror, follows a group of high school friends investigating a mysterious staircase in the woods.
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Harnett (published 4/29)
A road trip story featuring a second-chance romance, quirky characters, and a cat who can predict death. Sounds like classic Annie Harnett!
Archive of Unknown Universes by Ruben Reyes Jr. (available 7/1)
Described as an epic, genre-bending debut novel through inverted worlds. Characters Ana and Luis use an experimental device that allows them to peek at alternative versions of their lives, uncovering their family histories.
Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje (available 7/8)
An unforgettable coming-of-age and love story taking place in Croatia and spanning across 20 years. Definitely wins for most stunning cover!
I would love to hear if we have anything in common, what makes you the reader you are today? What’s your favorite genre? AND finally, what are you reading now? Give me all the recs!
In the meantime, you can find me lurking in the comments section of the RTL posts here on Substack, in the lovely RTL Discord group, and on Instagram @fictionandfairways.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!
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Very well written Carrie and I am beyond excited to read some of your book recs. Also sounds like I found a new podcast :)
Carrie! I love this deep dive into your reading life. I know from IG that our taste really overlaps, so this is no surprise, but I’m glad I got to find out more about your journey with reading. I also had a pandemic baby (June 2020) and that time definitely spurred my passion for reading again. Like you, I also had a fantastic podcast to inspire me in that time. Mine was What Should I Read Next.
Great post!