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Wondering how to find your favorite authors on sale? I just learned about this cool thing called eReaderIQ and thought I'd pass it on — it's a free tracking service that you can use to watch your favorite authors or books and find out when their ebooks go on sale.
For those of you who binge read mysteries or romances, this could be great way to build your library. They also offer a Daily Deals and Steals newsletter if you just want to hear about the best freebies and “under $1” deals of the day.
They've apparently been around since 2010, but I just learned of them recently so I thought I'd share.
(As readers have noted, of course, yes, you can always get ebooks out of the library as well — but particularly with the recent controversy over publishers cracking down on how many ebooks a library can get (for example), this could prove useful…)
Readers, where do you mostly buy your books? How do you find your favorite authors on sale?
Psst — some of my favorite funny books; see our list of brain candy reading for more!
- Bossypants, by Tina Fey
- Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
- modern comedy: Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan (fiction)
- modern romantic comedy: Love on the Brain, Ali Hazelwood; Eligible, by Curtis Sittenfeld (an updated take on Pride and Prejudice), pretty much this entire series on Billionaires of Manhattan, by Annika Martin, Bet Me, by Jennifer Crusie
- historical romantic comedy: The Duchess Deal, by Tessa Dare (it's laugh-out-loud funny, promise)
- science fiction / rom-com / time travel / history: To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Wills
If you're looking for more serious reading, here are some of our favorite personal finance books, as well as must-read business books for women…
These are some of our latest favorite financial books for beginners:
Some must-read business books for women — update coming soon!
Home dilemma
I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. For lifestyle reasons, spouse and I are ready to move, and have in fact gone under contract to build a new home, but are ok losing the earnest money if it doesn’t work out (it’s only a few thousand). Current home isn’t underwater, but based on opinion from realtor, won’t sell for much more or even slightly less than we bought it a few years ago. This house has been nothing but a pain in the neck that you get from cheap builds – poor insulation, leaks in roof and windows, pipes bursting. We’ve gotten all that fixed but who knows what else is in the walls. Our options right now are:
1) Sell below what we bought it for, letting realtor and closing fees eat up all the equity we have in it and wash our hands – we have enough cash for down payment on the new home.
2) Wait a few years and rent it out – but the market for rentals is poor and we’d only be able to rent it for a couple hundred more than monthly mortgage+escrow
3) Stay living in the home that I have come to strongly dislike while the living situation gets worse due to street works and constructions that will last three years or more.
What would you do?
Anan
Sell if it means taking a small loss and move on with your life. Life is too short. Be happy and live in a house that you like. Housing is so central to your life – it’s worth it.
Senior Attorney
This. A colleague of mine was in a similar situation years ago and took the loss and walked away. To this day she says it’s the best decision she ever made.
The original Scarlett
+1
Anonymous
Sell, because you know exactly what your losses (or lack of gains) are.
If you keep living there, your losses could get progressively worse. If you rent it out, your losses could be astronomical if you choose a bad tenant. If you sell, your losses are small and defined. That’s your answer.
anonymous
I would go with 1 and just be done with the problem house.
Anonymous
This. There’s a hassle factor in dealing with a problematic house. Cut your losses now and leave.
Daffodil
I would sell now and eat the cost. You never know what’s going to come up in the next few years if you hold onto it, and it might end up burning a bigger hole in repairs. Sounds like you’ll get some mental relief from being free of the place too.
Anonymous
I’ve been in a similar place (though in an older home, which can similarly feel like a money pit). If you are truly unhappy, sell now and move. Get out. Don’t rent it, as you’ll still own the problem and be on the hook for renters. But do realize, another home is unlikely to be problem free. I am happier because we moved, but we’ve still had issues crop up in our new place. You’ll never escape that.
anon
I would go with option 1.
If you don’t really want to be a landlord, and you’re not confident whether the numbers will work out, then option 2 is a huge PITA. Tenants also tend to be really hard on property, so I doubt the maintenance issues will improve. (There are exceptions.)
If you have enough cash for a down payment on a new home and want to move for other lifestyle reasons, just do it. Don’t live in a home you don’t enjoy and that’s causing you stress because it may or may not sell for more later, especially when it may or may not need additional repairs in the meantime.
Anon
DO NOT RENT IT OUT. As you correctly said – you don’t know what’s lurking behind the walls that’s yet to break. Renters will most likely be harder on the house than you, and when something breaks, it’s on you to get it fixed promptly. I am a reluctant landlord, having bought a house in an area that never really economically recovered after the recession. Even though my house is a solid build, had no deferred maintenance, recent updates, etc, I still had a set of tenants who managed to break everything they touched. I was at the point where I dreaded opening my email, lest there be ANOTHER request from my property manager to authorize a repair. Fortunately, the current tenants seem to be lower maintenance (not that there’s much left to fix).
Anonymous
Agreed, renting sounds like the worst of the three options. In addition to these points, I also wouldn’t count on renters to pay much attention to things like slow leaks or to act very quickly if something happens.
Anonymous
1
fdsa
A different way to think of #2. Do you want to keep the money invested in real estate for a few years or take it out now and put it into something else. In the long term the market will do better than real estate. (You can pay closing costs now or in a few years, but there is no escape, sadly.)
Angela
Yeah, #1 if you can afford it. Chalk the loss up to the penalty for a bad decision and move forward. You’re fortunate to be in a position to make that choice; many people are stuck with the consequences of bad decisions for years and are very unhappy as a result.
FWIW, DH and I are in the same position. We’re about to sell our house at about a $50k loss due to a variety of factors, but we moved to cut our commutes from an hour plus to 15-20 minutes. The increased happiness has been well worth it (as I’ll continue to remind myself as we write that massive check…)
Anon
We sold in very similar circumstances. We just wrote it off to the price of a good lesson and were so happy to move on. (Less than a month after we closed, the new owners called us asking for plumber recommendations).
anon
Has anyone bought furniture (especially leather furniture) from Article? I’m trying to furnish my new house which is a huge step up in terms of size from where I used to live, and they seem to have nice pieces at reasonable prices. Just want to make sure quality is good too. Thanks!
The original Scarlett
Yep, I’ve bought a couple of their couches and love them, and I found the brand from a friend years ago. I’ve found the leather holds up best, followed by fabric, followed by velvet. No regrets
kk
Yep! In a similar situation (we used to have one living space, now we have a living room, family room, and hang out basement) and we purchased two leather sofas- the sven and the burrard. Both are great.
Anon
Or go to betterworldbooks.com and buy used books AND they donate books to people in need all across the world.
Anon
My husband and I are going on an organized tour to Zurich/Bern, Oberammergau, and Munich are on the itinerary. Looking to tack a few days on to the end for just us. Any recommendations for favorite cities in Germany?? Hopefully we will be pregnant at that time so wineries/breweries are out. Thanks, hive!
Anonymous
Berlin
Ribena
Berlin is great but a long way from the other places on the itinerary. I’d go for a small city within an hour’s train of your departure airport/ the last city on the tour. If that’s Zurich, go to Konstanz! A gorgeous small city with a historic city centre and great food.
Anon
Munich is last! But we’re also open to going a day or two early, so maybe we’ll have a chance to check Konstanz. Thanks!
Anonymous
If it ends in Munich, I’d do Innsbruck. If it ends in Zurich, I’d think about Bregenz or Lindau on Lake Constance.
anon
Lindau is adorable!
OP
Follow up question for a separate trip – any favorite cities for day trips near Paris?
BabyAssociate
Go to Reims and drink all the champagne!
Cat
Reims as a base for a Champagne day (an hour or less on TGV), Giverny for the delights of Monet’s gardens
Anon
Do a castle tour out of Munich. That might be tacked on to that leg of the trip already, but Neuschwanstein is gorgeous.
Anon
+1 to Neuschwanstein. Salzburg and Vienna if you have a few more days. If staying near Munich, I would say Dachau memorial is a must do day trip from Munich.
Anon
Highly recommend Vienna, and it’s only a 4-ish hour train ride from Munich. Lots of great art and food and music to be had!
buffybot
I just found out I got a grant through my work that is giving me $1k to donate to a charity of my choice. Any favorites? We do periodic corporate giving campaigns and I tend toward the small and local like food pantries because I feel like you get more “bang” for the buck — but open to new suggestions!
Veronica
Your local diaper bank! It’s like a food bank but for diapers (for people of all ages) and typically feminine care products.
Diapers and period products are not covered by any government assistance program. For example you cannot buy diapers with WIC. Lack of diapers is actually a major barrier keeping women from the workforce. You can’t drop your kid off at daycare without providing diapers, people who need diapers often live in areas where they can’t buy diapers in bulk cheaply and ship them to their home due to package theft and other issues, diaper purchased at neighborhood small stores are incredibly expensive, and you can’t wash cloth diapers at the laundromat due to public health issues.
$1,000 will go a long way with your local diaper bank and truly help an area family in need!
Go onto the national diaper bank website to find the bank in your area.
EB
Cosign all of this and will add that some families have to make the tragic choice of buying diapers or food or some other necessity and have to make do with reusing diapers or using something other than an actual diaper, which can result in a bad diaper rash or worse, which can result in an irritable or inconsolable baby, which can result in neglect or abuse or worse. Obviously not all cases, but some, and diaper banks do amazing work in heading off the first step of what could be a tragic chain of events. Also, the bank probably has a contract with a diaper brand to purchase pallets and your donation would do SO MUCH for them.
Anon
If you like the idea of bang for your buck you may like Give Well – they mostly contribute internationally but are VERY VERY data-based in their giving criteria.
Anon
If I were in your shoes I’d pick either the local homeless shelter or local women’s shelter.
Anon
I am planning to take an upcoming Friday off of work and am looking for fun ideas on how to fill the day. What would you do with a random day off? Ideally looking for relatively low key ideas, but more than just sitting and watching netflix.
anonymous
– Sleep in
– Get a mani/pedi
– See a movie
– Go out to brunch and or happy hour and order my favorite cocktail
Anon
My favorite things in the world are museums and reading, so I would probably spend most of the day at a museum and have a leisurely lunch with a book. I might pop into a used bookstore to browse as an extra treat. For me, looking at art and reading books gets me out of my head and my daily life, so I therefore find it the most relaxing.
Anonymous
– take an exercise class during the day (barre, yoga, etc or whatever you like)
– go for a walk at a local park/garden (ymmv depending on current weather)
– go to local library and read (because some of us don’t live/work in cities)
– take long luxurious bath if not able to go to a spa with heated pools
– if you have one near you, go to a korean spa and spend the entire day there
– go eat lunch at a place you’ve wanted to go for a while but never got the chance to because life
– go to the zoo by yourself (although if there are a bunch of school kids that’s not low key)
Anon
I usually go to a fancy pants spa where I spend hours beyond the massage or facial in the hot tub etc.
But I’ve also done solo hikes.
On those days I also often eat lunch by myself at the bar of the hard-to-get-into restaurant in my neighborhood (with a book). Enjoy!
Gen X'er
I just got invited to a formal work-related gala this Saturday night, six days away. I have a below the knee black cocktail dress, but I worry that’s not formal enough. I have a full length ball gown, but it’s the most uncomfortable garment I’ve ever worn, and I can barely breathe in it. Suggestions? Can I get away with the below the knee black cocktail dress? I don’t have time for Rent the Runway, and since I’m just too tall for petites and too short for everything else, I worry about taping rental gowns. I also don’t want to be matronly but since it’s work-related, I also can’t show too much skin! Any and all recommendations are most appreciated.
Ducky
I would try to dress up the cocktail dress with nice earrings, black stockings, fancy shoes, etc. It would be nice to top it with a beautiful beaded jacket or something similarly dressy.
Gen X'er
Thanks!
kk
I think you’ll be ok in the cocktail dress with huge sparkly earrings, fabuous shoes, a blowout, good lipstick, and no stockings.
If you do end up shopping with fast shipping- I’ve found that ML Monique Lhullier runs a little shorter than average. If you find a dress with a hem that is higher in front and longer in the back, you can get away with things being a little longer or shorter than they should be – links to follow.
kk
https://www.amazon.com/Adrianna-Papell-Womens-high-Low-Taffeta/dp/B075VLW42H?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/ML-Monique-Lhuillier-Womens-Jacquard/dp/B0779H4T67?ref_=ast_bbp_dp&th=1&psc=1
https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/alfred-sung-high-low-sateen-twill-gown/4700236/full?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=burgundy
https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/eliza-j-metallic-long-sleeve-high-low-gown/5403438/full?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=gold
anon
This year my resolution is to read books with a little more substance, even if it takes more effort to stay focused. I used to be a great reader but my habits have slowly deteriorated until I mostly read pulpy predictable mysteries.
Suggestions for books that are worth an investment? Becuase I’m having trouble distinguishing between a slow start and a genuinely boring book.
Anon
What do you mean by substance? My most “substance-y” books are often nonfiction about issues I care about (domestic violence, campus sexual assault, the Radium Girls, Barbarians at the Gate). I also liked Circe a lot (technically YA, but beautifully written with great themes), the Mothers, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,Station 11.
Anon
What!? Circe is not YA at all.
anon
I had no idea Circe was technically young adult. I have a hard time seeing how that is possible – I thought it was fairly hard to follow even as a very-not-young adult.
Anon
The person who recced to me described it as YA – or maybe more like emerging adult? I forget (but glad that I’m not just much less literate than I thought because I really thought it was just me).
Anon
I’ve seen numerous old white men reading it who I’m sure haven’t touched YA in decades, if ever. The author is a (former?) high school teacher, but that doesn’t make the book YA. It was nominated for tons of serious book prizes it wouldn’t have been considered for if it were technically YA.
emeralds
Yikes I loved Circe but it is NOT a young adult book! Extremely mature themes.
Like, I can see it being an appropriate book for a high school student reading at an advanced level, but it is no way shape or form YA.
Ellen
I think we all need to read important books and non-fiction ones expecially so that we can stay current on the issue’s of the day. That is why I read the NY Times Book Reviews each week, and make it a point to buy at least 1 book each month and read it. It is not enough just to have it on my nightstand; I must read it and explain it to my dad b/f he is satisfied that I am using my brain. Dad wants me to be more then another cute female. He insists that men will respect me if I can discuss the latest literature with confidence, and I am already done w/2 books this year. One is all about our physiology, and the other one is about President Trump.
Anon
I highly recommend No Visible Bruises — non-fiction about domestic violence but reads really easily.
anon
No Visible Bruises was so, so good.
Counterpoint: I’m a criminal lawyer, and I basically only read light fiction because my brain needs a break from trauma after work.
HW
Hello fellow mystery fan! I received a copy of The Great Believers and it collected dust for a while because I didn’t think I would be able to get into it. I finally read it and it was amazing.
Anonymous
Just Mercy, if you haven’t read it already. Then go see the movie!
Anonymous
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Z
All the Light We Cannot see was great.
Anon Probate Atty
I second All the Light We cannot See. The Sympathizer is another of my all time favorites. They are both Pulitzer Price winners, I believe. I also loved The Alice Network, Boys in the Boat, Devil in the Grove, The Monuments Men and A Gentleman in Moscow. I have more but I’ll stop there!
buffybot
Some thoughts for fiction, scrolling through my kindle: David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, Thousand Autumns of Jacob DeZoet). Lauren Groff. Ann Patchett. The Sparrow/Children of God (think I got that from a recommendation here). Zadie Smith. E. M. Forster. The Beautiful Bureaucrat. If you want to stick with mysteries but still feel literary, Tana French all day every day. Jhumpa Lahiri. Wolf Hall/Bringing Up the Bodies. Junot Diaz.
Anon
Just finished Exit West – excellent and engaging read. I also really enjoyed American Marriage.
Miss
I loved Killers of the Flower Moon for a nonfiction book that read like fiction. I love fiction, but find that at the end of the year, the nonfiction books were my favorites. Nonfiction books I loved (that I found relatively easy to read):
No Visible Bruises — should be required reading
The Yellow House — fascinating look at New Orleans through the author’s family history
Know My Name — beautifully written, but a tough topic. Definitely not an enjoyable read, but very impactful.
Furious Hours — another nonfiction book that has a strong plot, I loved both the story of the Reverend and Harper Lee.
Dopesick — about the opiate epidemic, it will change how you think about the medical field
Educated — absolutely fascinating
Evicted — I continue to be horrified by the small difference in price between the best and worst apartments
American Prison — the realities of private prisons and the history connecting mass incarceration to slavery
I’m currently reading Say Nothing, which is a nonfiction history of Northern Ireland and it’s very engaging and fascinating. Next up is the Great Pretender, which is about mental health and a study where healthy people committed themselves to a mental institution and had to convince doctors they were sane to be released.
Fiction books that I’d qualify as substantive, but were easy to read included:
Trust Exercise — I liked this book better after I finished it, but now I’m still thinking about it weeks later and wish I had a friend to discuss it with
The Need — I love books that surprise me and this one was excellent. I need someone to discuss the ending with
God Help the Child — Toni Morrison is always a good choice
Handmaid’s Tale and Testament — Margaret Atwood is another favorite
A Woman Is No Man — I still think about the main character occasionally
Milkman — now that I’m reading Say Nothing, I keep thinking about it
Circe — I don’t know how anyone would characterize it as YA
The Great Believers — about AIDS in Chicago
The Friend — another book that surprised me
Friday Black — short stories that are incredibly unique
Salvage the Bones and Sing Unburied Sing — I love Jesmyn Ward’s writing
Pachinko — a long book, but one I thoroughly enjoyed
Books
If you like WWII historical fiction (which tend to be my “easy read” go to genre), I’ve read and absolutely LOVED Winds of War and the sequel War and Remembrance. They’re LONG, about 100 hours total between the two audiobooks, but I’ve learned so much about WWII and the author made a solid attempt to remain historically accurate as much as possible.
I find that Modern Mrs. Darcy has good book lists (I especially like her 20+ hour audiobook list and her big fat books for summer reading list), and she reviews most of the books on her book lists.
When I’m considering books I’ve read that have some substance, I think about books I have thought about long after I read them. Maybe not long books, but books that stick with me or I think everyone should read.
Fiction:
Molokai is not a long book, but I think about it a lot and it got me interested in the history of Molokai and treatment of people with leprosy. The sequel is also great.
All the Light We Cannot See is another good one.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a great book about the treatment of Japanese internees during WWII.
Underground Railroad was a really interesting look at the civil war and slavery from a perspective we usually wouldn’t consider.
Me Before You. yes, it’s a romance but it got me thinking about end of life issues and I think about it still.
The Hate U Give was incredible- about a police involved shooting and how it affects a young black girl who was in the car.
In the Garden of beasts by Erik Larson is fictionalized nonfiction, another thought provoking WWII book. Anything by Erik Larson, really.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies is long, and has a really interesting narrative set up.
Americanah- REcommenbded by Obama, it’s a great look at immigration and America and success.
Anything by Lisa See, but especially Island of Sea Women. I did a DEEP dive afterwards into this group of Korean women. (Pun intended :P)
Gentleman in Moscow- Another longer book, but I loved this so much.
Nonfiction
Becoming- I think about the Obama presidency differently.
RBG A Life- An incredible look at RBG’s life and career.
Walkable City- I look at my entire city differently now, almost every day. I can’t recommend this enough.
War by Sebastian Junger, and his follow up book, Tribe- A really enlightening look at the war on terror, from soldiers who served.
Grit by Duckworth- I think about this book a lot at work.
No Good Men About the Living- Another interesting book looking at the war and the history of Afghanistan. The journalist who wrote it did an incredible job.
Prairie Fires- If you liked Laura Ingalls Wilder, I can’t recommend it enough!!!!
The Alternative: Most of What You Believe About Poverty is Wrong: I work in social services and this changed how I look at poverty and assisting individuals and families. It’s short but I probably refer to it once a week.
Happy reading!
Anon
Any recs for a Chicago hotel for a couples getaway? We have plans to eat at restaurants in the Lincoln Park and Fulton Market areas, so close to either of those would be a plus, but downtown/River North is fine too.
Anon
What time of year, and approximate budget?
Anon
March. Budget is, I dunno, maybe $300? Not Peninsula or Langham but we could do most other places I think.
Senior Attorney
Hubby and I stayed in the Kimpton Gray last year and found it very nice. It’s quite close to the train stations.
Ellen
There is a great old hotel that is like Chicago’s equivelent to the Plaza in NYC. I would check that one out. They have “high tea” at 4:00 pm every day, and it is delicious! YAY!!
anonchicago
I’ve had drinks at the Kimpton Gray a few times and really like it. It’s in the Loop which gets dead on weekends (which you may like, idk). The JW is around the block and many of my colleagues from out of town stay there.
If you want to be closer to restaurants and bars, I’d recommend staying in West Loop or River North. West Loop doesn’t have many hotels yet; there’s the Ace in the heart of Fulton Market as well as a Hyatt Place and Homewood Suites a bit further south. In River North you have pretty much anything at every price point. I’ve heard good things about the EMC2 on the lower end (good if you are Marriott loyal) and Ritz on the higher end. The Westins, Sheratons downtown are pretty old and starting to look dingy.
Anonymous
The Kimpton Hôtel Allegro?
In a Holding Pattern
My husband is applying for jobs that could take us to one of several cities across the U.S. by this coming fall. I am on board with this — we currently live in a very HCOL city far from our families, so a change could be very positive for both of us. Depending on the new city, we will most likely be able to finally buy a house with the money we’ve saved (which gets us maybe halfway to a decent down payment in our current city). And all of the places he’s interviewed thus far would mean visiting family becomes a few hours’ drive rather than a few hours’ flight. But the uncertainty is really getting me down. Without a specific place to get excited about, I find myself dwelling on the things I will miss about my current city. Any tips or experiences as far as coping with the waiting period before it’s time to really start making plans and taking action?
nutella
How about indulging in those things you will miss and checking off all the things you always wanted to see but as a local never ended up doing? Like, is there a museum in your city that by virtue of being a resident means you’ve never ‘touristed’ in your city and seen it? Or a restaurant? Sports event? Are there trips that are easier from your current city that are going to be a big pain from wherever you are moving (i.e., probably not going to visit Maine as easily if you are moving from Boston to Nevada). I’d also take a lot of photographs of your favorite haunts or things that represent milestones for you or the seasons if those will be different where you are going! And remember that you can always visit! Good luck and enjoy this transition!
In a Holding Pattern
This is a great point — there’s stuff not only in my city but nearby (say, a weekend trip away) that I should definitely see before we go!
Away Game
Go do All The Things in your current city. Make a list, and set a (flexible! this isn’t work!) schedule. X this month, Y next month. Enjoy what it has to offer, and tick off your boxes. It’s ok to miss things and feel pre-nostalgia while you are doing it. You aren’t going to prison – you’re just moving – and can come back for a long weekend if you wish to revisit your favorite places later. When you leave, you will have done All The Things and not leave with a list of didn’t-do regrets. Then, when you know where new city is, start your list of All the (New) Things and do them early to get to know and enjoy the new place. This is particularly important when you are down to the 73rd box and are tired of unpacking and haven’t put stuff up on the walls, which tends to lead me to regret I ever packed in the first place. Figure out what your best mix of nesting v. getting out of the chaos of unpacking looks like for you and escape.
In a Holding Pattern
This is a great idea! Thank you. I will make my list of All The Things in my current city this evening!
Books
I would also recommend reading This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick. it has some great ideas about how to feel more at home wherever you are, including in your own town or a new town. So you can use it to really live in the place you live now, and then to grow to love the place you do end up going!
Anon
Academic? I ask because it’s interview season and the uncertainty about where you’re going. I don’t have any great advice – the year(s) where my husband was on the tenure-track job market were some of the hardest of my life because of the anxiety and uncertainty about where we’d go, plus the knowledge that (unless my husband didn’t get tenure) we’d likely have to stay in new city for a very long time, even if we hated it. I do second a bucket list to help you focus on enjoying your current city. Good luck to all of you!
In a Holding Pattern
Yup, you guessed it! (The move-by-fall time frame is also a clue, I suppose!) I will admit that there a couple of places he’s applied to that I’m not real excited about, but it’s academia, so we’re not ruling anything out…
MaeWood
Bookworm advice
I lawyer all day and write romance novels (both “clean” and “steamy”) on the side. I’m a huge fan of the genre, as I like a spoonful of happiness at the end of a grueling day in lawyerland.
One resource I really like for finding romance novels is Book+Main (www.bookandmainbites.com)
You and search by trope (secret baby, workplace, etc.) and can read a curated excerpt (not just the first few pages like Amazon shows you). You have to create an account, but it’s free for readers. Links straight to Amazon, B&N, etc to purchase. You can also follow authors so their samples show up in your feed. It’s not social media-y like Facebook. The only thing in your feed are book excerpts.
Other book deal sites — BookBub.com has a daily deals newsletter where you pick the genre — women’s fic, historical fic, contemporary romance, etc. If you like an author on Bookbub, you’ll get an email with price reductions and new releases for that author.