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      I’m an open book, and here are 17 books to open!

      book list q1 2022 | kourtney thomas self-discovery life coach

      Bum-ba-da-dummmm, it’s book list time! 🎉

      I may be a little late this quarter, but that’s about par for the course for me for 2022 anyway, so we’re all going to have to deal with it. Hopefully at least a few of these recommendations make up for my lateness, and I think they will.

      I read only 17 books in Q1, which is a little low for me (and now I’m behind on my yearly goal, uh oh!). But quite honestly, there were a few epics in here, and that had a lot to do with it. And when I say epic, I mean it – one of them so much so it’s been turned into a TV series. And really, reading isn’t about volume, it’s about pleasure, and this quarters reads were certainly pleasurable.

      Beyond the epics, of course I sprinkled in some romance and randomness, so I’m quite sure you’ll find something to fit your mood.

      And without any further delay, 17 great books to explore this spring!

      A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (I’ve been craving a new fantasy series, and I found one! It’s been on my list a while, and it delivered. Big fan, and can’t wait to continue reading the series.)

      Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai (This one was super sweet. I read the first in the series a while back, and I’m glad I revisited. I really enjoyed the main characters, their connection, and their evolution.)

      Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Turns out, this is what you call a “cozy mystery,” and I’m sold on this genre! This book flew by, and I can’t wait for the next in the series. It got a lot of hype, and I think it lived up.)

      The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz (Yes, I’m real late to the party finally reading this, but here we are. It wasn’t life-changing for me – stuff like this rarely is, but I did pick up a lot of reminders and validation. I particularly like the explanation of our domestication. I feel that for sure.)

      One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle (I’ve said it many times before, but Rebecca Serle is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I love her. My favorite author, hands-down. And her newest book delivers, yet again! I’ve never read anyone else who can incorporate magical realism in the way she does. It’s just so damn good. 5 stars!)

      Stay Up with Hugo Best by Erin Somers (I enjoyed this book. It got good critical reviews, which is why I picked it up, but totally panned in Goodreads reviews, which I find a little funny. It’s billed as somewhat of a #metoo story, but ehhhhh, I didn’t find it really followed that line. It was strange and dry, and the characters were weird and problematic, and to me, that’s what made it interesting and good. Plus, it was short, so I didn’t have to be overly invested.)

      Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Here’s the epic! And whoa mama, it truly was. I’ve had this book on my list for a very long time and finally got in the mood for it. Thank goodness I did, because this is probably going to the top of my favorites list. It’s sweeping, it’s got depth, it’s heart wrenching over and over again. Just so, so fantastic, and I can’t recommend it enough.)

      Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren (I’m almost to the end of the Beautiful series, and at this point, I’m taking my sweet time. These books are just great.)

      The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell (A good little historical fiction romance situation. Not my favorite among some others I’ve read, but I liked it well enough.)

      Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (This book. This book! If you are a Neil Gaiman fan, read this immediately! God, it was good. I can’t even say anymore because it would give more of a spoiler than I’d want to even imply. If you like fantasy, grab it. It’s another short one too, so you’ll find yourself absorbed and finishing it in a matter of days.)

      Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles (This little gem is another new standard favorite for me. I’ve known about ikigai, and I’ve known about a lot of what was talked about in the book, but putting it all together in this friendly little tome just made me feel all warm and fuzzy. And as opposed to something like The Four Agreements, this is sticking with me and reminding me to find my ikigai every day. Highly recommended.)

      Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Cruise (Recommended by a friend, and it was worth the read! Definitely funny, and I loved the main couple.)

      White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison (Another long one, but every time I pick one of these up, it’s worth it. I had to stop myself from just finishing the whole damn series this quarter. The story is getting real good right now!)

      The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. (Another epic, for sure. While incredibly well-written, and a more user-friendly and storytelling approach to extremely academic material, it was still a lot to get through. No way around it, reading about trauma is tough. It was worth it though.)

      Truth or Beard by Penny Reid (It was OK, but not great. There are a whole bunch in this series, because there are like five brothers or something like that, but I’m not sure I’ll continue.)

      A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin (I’ve read several of these questionable exclusive women’s club stories, and this one was the very weirdest of the bunch. Trust, the twist is not even close to expected.)

      Dava Shastri’s Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti (I loved this book. A lot. It was complicated and interesting and it felt extremely human. Highly recommended.)

      There you have it! I hope you’ve found a few things to put in your library queue for Q2.

      As a reminder, there are a few ways you can stay connected with me about books so you don’t have to wait another three months for my next big list:

      for a real-time list.

      📚Check out for purchase on Bookshop.org.

      ! This one’s new for 2022. I’ve been teasing lately, and the Book Club is inside of it. More to come, but for 10 Founding Members, you can get access to both The House and Book Club for a mere $25/month. Once those ten spots are gone, the monthly investment will go up to $67/month for access to The House and the Book Club. Get all the details and purchase your access . (The discussion among Members so far has been super fun and lively, and I’ve already gotten quite a few great recs!)

      And as always, please please please hit reply and let me know what you’re reading and what your latest recommendations are. There may be hundreds of books on my list already and it may take me a lifetime to get through it, but I’m up for that, and I’ll always add more.

      Happy reading!


      My very impressed coworkers recently asked me how I read 80ish books a year. Quick tip: don’t scroll while you’re eating breakfast and lunch and going to the bathroom. Read.

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