Be sure to vote in the GoodReads Reader’s Choice Awards.

Books only exist because of readers. In our modern world, there are increasing demands on our time. From social media and endless doom-scrolling to Netflix (which I love) and PlayStation or silly games like Candy Crush on mobile phones, there are endless distractions competing for our time. Books, though, are different. Rather than feeding a quick-fire dopamine hit, they soothe us and calm us, exercising our minds, emotions and intellect. They’re an eight-course degustation at a Michelin Star restaurant rather than fast food takeout from the drive-thru at McDonald’s. And McDonald’s is fine, just not suitable all the time. Treat yourself. Read a book!

Writers aren’t in competition with each other. They’re in competition with modern distractions. If someone reads a great book, they’re far more likely to pick up another book than surrender to the allure of social media feeds on TikTok or AI slop on YouTube, so I have no problem promoting other authors.

If you’re looking for a great read, check out the lists on GoodReads, and if you’ve read any of these novels, be sure to vote for your favorite.