Meet Gracie, a self-proclaimed “romance girlie” who finds joy in stories that make you feel all the emotions. She also happens to be our April Reader of the Month! From sports romances to the occasional thriller, she loves getting swept up in a good plot and trying to guess what happens next. Whether she’s curled up at home with a blanket and gummy worms or reading on the go with her Kindle app, Gracie’s reading philosophy is simple: read what you love and don’t be afraid to explore something new.
Read Gracie’s Q&A below and find her full list of recommendations and read-alikes here.
Can you tell us about your reading interests in general?
- I am a romance girlie at heart. I love a good romance book. I mostly read fiction, romance, and my favorite sub-genre is sports romance. I have always been drawn to romance books because of the stories that they tell. I also like a good thriller/mystery book. I love being able to follow along with the story and try to figure out what is going to happen by the end of it. When it comes to reading, I think that personal philosophy would be when it comes to reading is to enjoy it. Read what you want to read and explore different genres and authors because there are so many good books out there to explore.
What book(s) are you currently reading?
- The book I am currently reading is “The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han. I watched all three seasons of the TV show and loved it, but I had never read the books, so I decided to start. So far, it’s been excellent.
What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?:
- That is such a hard question because there have been so many good ones. I would say that my top 3 are:
- “Rewind it Back” by Liz Tomforde
- “Hat Trick” by Chelsea Curto
- “Bridesmaid by Chance” by Meghan QuinnÂ
What is your ideal reading environment?
- My ideal reading environment is in my house, in a quiet space like my bedroom or living room, with a warm blanket and some gummy worms to snack on.
What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?
- The book that I am most excited to read next is “Breathe With Me” by Becka Mack. It’s the last and final book in her Playing for Keeps series. It comes out at the end of October, and I am excited for this book because I already know that it’s going to make me feel all the feels, and I know that it’s going to be a great ending to a really great book series.
What format do you prefer and why (physical book, e-book, audiobook)?
- When it comes to format, I enjoy physical books, but I love reading on my Kindle app. The best money I ever spent was paying for Kindle Unlimited. I love being able to just pull out my phone and read a book on the go.
When do you decide to stop reading a book? In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?
- When it comes to the decision to stop reading a book, I rarely ever DNF a book, but when I do, it’s mostly because I am not liking where the story is going or if I am just not liking the characters in the book. Out of all the books I have read, I think I have only ever DNF’d two books.
Do you remember when your love for reading began?
- I have always enjoyed reading from a young age, but I think my love for reading really started when I was in Junior High. I always had my nose to a book. I remember I had this huge obsession with Nicholas Sparks‘ books. I remember reading all of his books and then going to watch all of the movies. I guess that’s where my obsession with romance books really started. Once I got older, I sorta lost that love for reading and was a lot more focused on my school work. After many years and one college graduation later, I had a lot more free time on my hands and was looking for a hobby to occupy my time when I wasn’t working. One day, my roommate at the time came home with a book, and it looked good, so I decided to go to the library, check out the book, and read it for myself. That book happened to be “The Deal” by Elle Kennedy. I think I finished it within two days, and well, I think you can guess what happened after that. My love for reading was finally back, and I haven’t looked back since.
From rediscovering her love of reading after college to diving headfirst into her next can’t-wait release, Gracie reminds us that the right book always has a way of finding you – sometimes when you least expect it. Thanks, Gracie, for being our Reader of the Month!
Interested in being our next Reader of the Month? Fill out the application form here!