Lately, I’ve been reading to please my heart

Reading without rules

If you’ve spent any time on Bookstagram, Book Tok, or Book Threads, I’m sure you’ve seen how drama-filled and toxic it can be. Bookstagram used to be my favourite place to hang out. I created my own account back in 2021 and would post all sorts of pictures of the books I was reading, wanting to read, recommending… just all things books!

Somewhere along the way, the discourse around books kind of changed. There was a lot of drama with authors and the bookstagrammers who would share their books would be called out and cancelled. Some people love romantasy and others say it’s just glorified porn for women. And then, there is a whole section of bookstagram that has gone super political. I fall in the category of “I’m here for books and not all the negativity in the world that I see in the news.” Maybe I’ll get hate for that but I just want to protect my little tiny corner of the internet from the big bad real world, just for a minute.

All of that to say, things stopped being carefree and fun for me. It started to feel a little stressful. Am I reading a book by a “bookstagram approved” author? Should I not post my review of this because someone will be offended? What if all I want to read is “glorified woman porn” romantasy books? Does that make me less of a reader or a less credible reviewer?

The answer to all of those has become, who cares? But it did stop me from posting on my bookstagram and to this day, I don’t really want to use that space anymore. That’s okay, though.

The part that matters is that I am reading books I want to read, and it feels good. Lately, I’m reading to please my heart, and that’s it.

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Remember back in the day when you would read a bunch of books and get a free pizza from Pizza Hut? Those were the days! Just me, a stack of Junie B Jones books, and a sunny summer day. I can’t actually remember, but I have a feeling I was eating a lot of Kraft Dinner and drinking lemonade. Honestly, that still sounds good to me.

No one judged what you read back then. We all literally DEVOURED Twilight. For me, Divergent was the series that really sparked my reading addiction.

In 2024, I made the decision that I would stop forcing myself to read contemporary fiction. I didn’t care if it was Reese Witherspoon’s top book club pick of the year… I didn’t need to read it if I wasn’t interested. I also stopped reading thrillers because they stress me out. I started reading way more fantasy and it was one of my favorite reading years. I just read whatever piqued my interest and if I liked something, I found more books like it.

Since then, I have stopped with TBR’s, keeping up with all the newest books, and reading something because it’s popular. I still love a lot of popular new books (hello, Fourth Wing series). But I’m also exploring older series and reading one-off books I find on Kobo Plus or through the library. I’m purposely seeking out books I know I will like. Life is short. Why read something that will make me feel sad, mad, or stressed?

I noticed a few things when I started reading what my heart wants:

• I was reading more books and way faster

• My star ratings were mainly in the 4’s and 5’s

• I’ve discovered the exact story formula that hooks me to a book and I can find these perfect books from a quick skim of the cover and/or synopsis

• Reviews don’t matter as much to me. Seeing a low rating or bad review doesn’t turn me off the book (most times)

• There is a deeper appreciation for a high-quality book. If you read enough similar stories, you really start to notice what good writing, strong character development, and solid plot look like

• I’ve discovered so many “new to me” authors and explored their backlists

• Reading is a joy and not a chore

So, since we are just friends chatting, I’m going to share some of the books I love and if you are into similar books to me, get ready to add these to your reading list!

In no particular order…

• Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros

• A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

• Zodiac Academy series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

• Fortuna Sworn series by K.J. Sutton

• Promise of Darkness series by Bec McMaster

• Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

• Bride by Ali Hazelwood (haven’t read Mate yet, but I think I’ll like it!!)

• Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco

• Funny Story by Emily Henry

• Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

• Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (clearly obsessed with her)

• The True Love Bookshop by Annie Raines

• How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan

• Butcher & Blackbird series by Brynne Weaver

• The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman

• Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson

• Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano

• The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

• The Grandest Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (this is a spin-off of Inheritance Games)

• The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

• Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman

• Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

• Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn

• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (need to read The Enchanted Greenhouse!!)

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

• The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry (one of my favs of 2025)

• The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

• The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

These are some recent favourites going back to around 2021, the start of my bookstagram. I just want to say that while I was scrolling through Goodreads to double-check my list, I was shocked to see how much my reading has changed!

There was a clear divide between my reading year in 2024, when I decided to read for joy and before. When I used to get ARCs (advanced reader copies), I would be sort of forced to read whatever was sent. Looking back through my Goodreads brought me back to many books I had to painfully push through just so I could fulfil my side of the agreement.

I’m a big believer that if you read books, you are a reader. It doesn’t matter what genre they are. You could read all romance or true crime or self-help… the content doesn’t dictate if you are a true reader. You do not need to read all the literary award-winning books. You don’t need to read the classics.

This letter is your sign to pick up any book that sounds interesting to you. Then pick up another. Just keep reading to please your heart.

Until next time,

Deanna

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👋🏼 P.S. you can also find me on: Life by Deanna, IG, Threads, + Facebook!