One of my favorite things about reading is when one book or author leads you directly to another. Recently, I’ve noticed this happening more in my reading pathways and it’s adding some fun and spontaneity to my TBR stack. Here are some examples:
Author Trails: Recently, I picked up a book called Nine Minds by Daniel Tammet. This is a book of nonfiction narratives about autistic individuals who have had unusual achievements (for example, they are detectives who solve murders, acclaimed actors, or surgeons). I realized that the author had written a memoir called Born on a Blue Day about his own experience as an autistic savant, so I decided to pick up that book as well.
Format Trails: When I completed a recent re-read of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, I was able to find both books on graphic audio from my local library. This is a version of audiobook that is described as “a movie in your mind” because it relies heavily on sound effects. It was the first time I tried this format and I really enjoyed it, so that led me to seek out other books in the graphic audio format.
Adaptation Trails: One of the shows that I’ve been interested in trying out is called Silo on Apple TV+ and I realized that it’s based on a series of books by Hugh Howey. I really like to read the book first before viewing an adaptation, so I added in the first book in that series to my TBR pile for this month.
Nostalgia Trails: This past week, I re-read a book called Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, which started as a fanfic for Harry Potter. That led me down a YA nostalgia rabbit hole and I ended up picking up a copy of Pippi Longstocking so that I could revisit that story that I loved from my childhood.
Topic Trails: Of course, one of the easiest book rabbit trails is when I get interested in one topic and I read other books mentioned by authors who are talking about that topic. A recent example of this is books that I’ve been reading on yoga, somatic practices, and self-compassion, which led me to read books on trauma like The Body Keeps the Score.
Vibe Trails: Another reading trail that I’ve noticed lately is based on vibes. For example, I recently read a mystery called Famous Last Words about a woman who has a husband who is keeping secrets from her. That led me to Lies He Told Me, which is another book about a husband keeping secrets (both were great, by the way).
Recommendation Trails: A final reading trail that I love to follow comes from the recommendations that I receive from friends, clients, and social media. Here are a few recent books that people have recommended that I’m adding to my TBR list:
- The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland (friend)
- The New Wilderness by Diane Cook (social)
- Cross My Heart by Megan Collins (social)
- Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis (client)
- The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley (social)
What kind of reading rabbit trails are your favorites to go down?
