I have shared many times on this site that one of my favourite writing tactics is taking an unnecessarily prolonged break to read other people’s work. Occasionally, I call it research. I tell myself I am studying what readers are enjoying, analysing successful storytelling and broadening my understanding of the market.
We all know that, deep down, I am procrastinating on an almost professional level.
Recently, I have been taking this so-called research break extremely seriously. As a result, I have several books and series to share that I have absolutely loved. Many of them are still playing on my mind long after I turned the final page, which is romantic when discussing fictional characters and slightly less impressive when my own unfinished manuscript is sitting open in another tab.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I did not want to read the Throne of Glass series. I genuinely resisted it. The series is enormous, and I knew that committing to it would consume the limited time I am supposed to be using to finish my own novels and release them into the wild.
Then Sarah J. Maas appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast and essentially told readers they had plenty of time to catch up on her other books before the next instalment in the ACOTAR universe. Frankly, I felt personally addressed.
I am not going to lie. I loved the series. Did I love it to the same degree as ACOTAR? Absolutely not. Rhysand still has my heart, dignity and most of my remaining standards. However, Throne of Glass is an incredible journey with a vast world, memorable characters and storylines that become increasingly layered. I did miss the spicy element, although perhaps taking a temporary break from fictional men growling possessively was good for my personal development.
The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros
I say Fourth Wing, but I really mean all three books currently available in the series. I avoided them for far too long because, as an avid watcher of TikTok and particularly BookTok, I had already seen approximately every spoiler imaginable.
Before opening the first book, I knew far too much about venin, Xaden, Violet’s missing memories and the direction his storyline may take next. As somebody whose OCD demands closure and a reassuringly happy ending, beginning an unfinished fantasy series felt like an act of emotional recklessness.
Unfortunately, the series captivated me almost instantly. As soon as I finished one book, I reached for the next with no consideration for sleep, responsibilities or the manuscript I claim is my greatest ambition. There is still so much I cannot stop thinking about, primarily Xaden, whom I would happily climb like a pole, and Liam, whom I will apparently be mourning for the rest of my natural life.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
After developing a deeply unreasonable obsession with Xaden, I decided I needed to refocus on Rhysand for a while because, realistically, he remains my one true fictional love.
There was a small part of my OCD brain that struggled with reading only the second book instead of restarting the entire ACOTAR series. However, if I ever want to complete my own novels, boundaries have to exist somewhere.
Most romantasy readers already understand why A Court of Mist and Fury is the obvious choice. This is the book that truly establishes Rhysand as the man we all came to adore, gives us the growing connection between him and Feyre, and introduces more of the inner circle that readers become fiercely attached to. It remains one of those books that feels comforting, romantic and emotionally satisfying, even when you know exactly what is coming.
Ryder by Jessica Peterson
I was surprised that I did not immediately download Ryder when it was released. This restraint mostly came from genuinely trying to concentrate on my manuscript rather than endlessly scrolling through Kindle Unlimited in search of another fictional relationship to become overly invested in.
I have shared my love for this series before, and Ryder gave me everything I expected. Give me romance, a compelling hook, an incredible setting and enough emotional obstacles to make happiness feel genuinely earned, and I will be completely invested.
What I particularly enjoy about Jessica Peterson’s novels is how each book adds another layer to the wider family. The individual romances work on their own, but the recurring characters create a deeper, more familiar world. Clearly, I have a weakness for interconnected fictional universes, which explains both my reading habits and the fact that one of my own novels somehow became an entire series.
The Ritual by Shantel Tessier
Over the years, I have attempted to enter the world of dark romance several times. I do not know whether I chose the wrong books, but I usually finished them feeling slightly deflated and wondering whether everybody else had experienced a completely different novel.
However, I fell hook, line and sinker for The Ritual. I would love to offer an intellectual explanation, but honesty matters, so I will admit that the secret society, intense atmosphere and rather enthusiastic level of choking played a significant part.
Beyond the endless smut, I enjoyed the thriller element and the constant sense that something more sinister was unfolding. It had enough plot to keep me interested and enough chaos to make me question every life choice that had led me there.
Reading as a Writer
You can probably tell that I have been deeply immersed in romantasy lately. ACOTAR introduced me to the genre a few years ago, and it has swallowed me whole ever since. Fantasy books do take me considerably longer to read because my logical brain becomes distracted by entirely irrelevant questions, such as how the bat boys’ clothing accommodates their wings or exactly how Tiarn’s saddle works.
If you are both an obsessive reader and an aspiring writer, I would love to know how you balance the two. I am still trying to maintain my love of reading while making meaningful progress on my own novel. Recently, my biggest downfall has undoubtedly been Sarah J. Maas. How dare she create a fictional universe containing approximately one million books and then make me feel morally obliged to read every single word, possibly several times?
