Copywriting Meets Fiction – Reading Roundup
Q1 vanished in a flash and suddenly it's April. That means it’s time for a Q1 reading round-up!
First off – it's confession time… I didn’t read a single non-fiction or motivational book this quarter.
Yes, the motivational monster that I am didn’t go there. I had a few in my TBR (To Be Read, for those who didn’t lean heavily into Booktok in 2020) but didn’t end up getting to them.
Shame on me. (Or rather not, because shame doesn’t help anyone, now does it)
For fiction, I’m a big fantasy, romantasy, and romance reader. For non-fiction, I love motivational and practical books about habits, finances, copywriting, etc. I’m also a complete mood reader and someone who is swept in by cover art – does it look pretty? I’ll probably at least read the summary and toss it in my mental TBR.
Since this is the first reading roundup blog, let’s get a few things straight up front:
Do Audiobooks Count As Reading?
Unequivocally yes.
That’s it. No ifs, ands, or buts. I have spoken.
…Ok, but in all seriousness, I’m not here to judge people on their book consumption preferences.
Audiobooks? Hell yes.
Physical books? Hell yes.
E-books? Hell yes. (You starting to see a theme here?)
Did you get it from your local library? Yes! Good for you for supporting your local library. Did you buy a copy online or from a bookstore? Yes please! A trophy for your shelf(or phone/tablet/etc) never looked so good.
I’m not here to judge… except maybe I’ll judge the judgmental. I’m strongly in the “to each their own” when it comes to reading type preferences, but the moment you start to look down on someone for consuming an audiobook, I’ll probably judge you. Sorry, not sorry.
My Philosophy About Buying Books
So now that that’s out of the way, here’s my philosophy on the books I read:
I typically borrow books from the library first. I love a good trophy bookshelf book, but there’s also only so much space and money I can allot in my life before my home just becomes a library on its own. And while that’s a nice idea in theory, it’s not exactly practical.
Books that I purchase typically fall into 3 categories:
Ones that I know I will re-read,
Ones that are written by who I call an “auto-buy author” – AKA someone who I’ve read multiple books from before, know I like their writing style, and have at least a 90% certainty that I’ll like the new book even if I haven’t read it yet,
Ones that are part of a series that I already own the prior books in
Q1 2025 – Books I’ve Read
What did I read in Q1? A lot of romance and some re-reads in anticipation of the newly published book in the series.
The Striker by Ana Huang
I’ll read anything by Ana Huang (they’re an “auto-buy author” for me), so when I saw she was starting a sports romance, it was an immediate “yes, please!”
Purchased? Yes
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (plus a re-read of books 1 and 2: Fourth Wing and Iron Flame)
I devoured this. I didn’t jump on the Fourth Wing trend when it first came out but I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 books when I finally got around to reading them. When the third came out, I did a re-read of the first 2 and then caught up with the newest.
Purchased? Yes
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This one was a delight! It’s been on my TBR list for a while but I finally had a timeline/excuse to read it for a book club I joined.
Purchased? No, but probably at some point
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
It’s a delightfully written rom-com book. Christina Lauren is a fantastic duo of friends who write under the same pen name. I’ve read a few of their books and they’re rom-com-y but well written. They’re the perfect lighthearted read when I don’t want to go super heavy
Purchased? No, but probably at some point
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
This was the first that I have to say I wasn’t a huge fan of. I read it per a request from my sister-in-law to read something together. Neither of us were fans, but she enjoyed the movie based on the book. I don’t usually gravitate to historical fiction, but it was an interesting read about the Irish/American experience in a fictional setting.
Purchased? Nope
Not in Love by Ali Hazlewood
Ali Hazlewood is another “auto-buy author,” but I’m behind in purchasing her most recent few. Like her others, this one was fun, spicy, and science-y in the best way.
Purchased? Not yet, but on the list for the next time I have extra book budget
Keep Me by Sara Cate
I stumbled upon this one on Libby (the app my local library uses for e-books and audiobooks) in their available now section. It was a cute and spicy read; in this case, I’m glad I got the audiobook version as the male lead's voice had a delightfully Scottish accent for his character.
Purchased? Nope. A fun read, but not a must-read-again type of book
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
This was a full re-read as I read the series as a teen when it first came out. I saw the hype from the 2 newest books – Sunrise on the Reaping and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the nostalgia struck. I did a full re-read to prepare for reading the newest books.
Purchased? Yes, but not newly. I already owned them from high school
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
This was worth the read. It was interesting to get into Snow’s head for sure. Plus, it was an interesting experience reading it as a prequel since we know who he becomes.
Purchased? Not yet, but on the list for the next time I have extra book budget. (I gotta complete the series now that there’s new ones)
The Long Game by Elena Armas
This was another cute sports romance. It was delightfully written and while stereotypical as a standard rom-com book, I love the author’s writing style.
Purchased? Nope. A fun read, but not a must-read-again type of book
Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren
This is technically part of a series written by different authors about a different modern-day fairytale in each book. All the books are stand-alone and this was a cute Rapunzel-inspired rom-com book. Of course, with it being Christina Lauren, I had to read it.
Purchased? No, I didn’t love the whole series, and while it was cute, I probably won’t read it again. It’s strongly in the “enjoyed but not enough to purchase yet” category
The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas
This was another cute and well-written rom-com by the same author as The Long Game. It was enjoyable but not super memorable.
Purchased? Nope. A fun read, but not a must-read-again type of book
So that’s it. 12 books in Q1– or technically 16 since I also re-read Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.
Q2 2025 – Books I Want To Read
In Q2, I want to focus more on some personal development with some fiction sprinkled in.
The Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap
I’ve seen her on social media under Her First $100K, so this one has been on my list for a while. I love financial books from a woman’s perspective, especially because the market seems saturated by masculine voices. I’m excited to read her perspective and get practical suggestions!
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
This author is also someone I’ve been following on Insta for a while – I love poetry, especially modern poetry. I saw that this book was available from the library, so it’ll probably be one of the first ones I read this quarter.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
This is another one that’s been on my list for a while (Yeah, there’s a pattern here of catch-up books. lol). It’s been recommended to me by a few people in my life and is often on the top personal development book lists.
Influence by Robert B. Cialdini
The copywriting program I’m in recommended this one (shout out to Write Your Way To Freedom by Sarah Turner). Copywriting is all about how to influence through writing, so this one should be a very practical read to hone my skills.
Everything is Figuroutable by Marie Forleo (re-read)
I read this one a few years ago and it spoke to me the first time around. It’s the first book I think of when I think of personal development books right now, so it’s on the re-read list for sure.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Ok, I’m caught in the hype here and keep seeing emotional reactions on BookTok and I want in! I’m waiting for it to come in from the library. Then I get to dig in.
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
I picked this one up from the library for a book club. I missed the book club date, but I still have it from the library, so I want to finish it before it has to go back. Plus, the premise seems super interesting: women turning into dragons? Color me intrigued.
I’ll be honest, there’ll probably be more books in Q2 if my Q1 reading list was any indication, but these are the priorities. If I sprinkle in some more fun books or others that suit my mood for the day? It’ll be another book to talk about next quarter.
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