Category: Book Recs - Antonia Aquilante

Books to Soothe Your Soul

1/31/2026

In the midst of The Horrors, I think a lot of us are reaching for books (or shows or movies) that help soothe our souls, that comfort and nourish and keep us sane so we can face what's happening and do what we can to help. Books that are soul-soothing can be very different depending on who you ask—some people want cozy, fluffy books, others want to escape into other worlds or read something nostalgic from their childhood. Even my comfort reads can be all over the place—sometimes I want something utterly cozy and angst-free and other times I want to read, for example, a KJ Charles where the bad guys are killed horribly by magpies. Both can be quite soothing. I've stuck to books that are more gentle or cozy for this list—lots of found family, some dreamy worlds, some magic, some romance, even a cute eldritch horror. As always, there are so many wonderful books and it was tough to narrow any kind of list down, and I'm sure I'll think of a bunch more that I should've included later. *sigh*

Dragon Books for Appreciate a Dragon Day

1/16/2026

January 16th is Appreciate a Dragon Day, so it seems like a good day to share some dragon book recs. I've loved dragon books for...well, probably forever. And there are so many good ones! I didn't go all the way back to books I read as a child or when I discovered the adult fantasy section in Barnes & Noble when I was twelve, which limited things somewhat but really not enough. I'm sure I've left off fantastic books that I will immediately think of and regret. For now, some dragon books I've enjoyed, mostly but not all romances:

Christmas Romance Book Recs

12/24/2025

I love reading holiday romances, so when I sat down to plan this year's Christmas romance rec list (and last week's Hanukkah list!), I had far too many fantastic books to choose from. I'm sure I'll think of twelve I should've included (as usual) as soon as I hit post, but nevertheless, here are a few Christmas romances I enjoy.

Hanukkah Romance Book Recs

12/19/2025

Happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating! I hope you've found light and joy this week with loved ones, despite the tragic shooting in Australia at the start of the holiday. If you need some Hanukkah romances, here are some I've enjoyed (and one I'm reading now!):

Happy Thanksgiving + Book Recs

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating today! I hope you're enjoying a day of rest and relaxation and good food with family and friends. I have biscuits (gluten free so everyone at the table can enjoy) baking and the parade on television as I write this, and I'll be heading over to my parents' house soon. I just wanted to take a moment to say how grateful I am for my family and friends and for all of my readers. Much love to you all.

And because I always have to share books recs...if you're looking for some Thanksgiving books (possibly for escape if your Thanksgiving plans are not so good...), I've got some below for you. (Or if you really need to escape, check out my books—they're all fantasy romance and have no mention of the holiday at all.)

Book Recs for Trans Awareness Week

11/15/2025

Transgender Awareness Week began on November 13th, so it seemed like the perfect time to share some trans book recommendations (though definitely read trans books all year!). I have probably recommended some of these books before—I have the worst time choosing from the books I love and the bad habit of forgetting about books until after I've shared (one day, I will fix this issue), but for now, have some book recs:

Book Recs for Spooky Season

10/29/2025

I'm not a horror fan, but I do love spooky and paranormal books this time of year, ones steeped in atmosphere and autumnal vibes. So, for those who are like me and don't like their halloween reading super scary, I put together a list of paranormal romances that I enjoy this time of year. As usual, it was difficult to narrow down, but I did my best.

Book Recs for Ace Awareness Week

10/22/2025

Happy Asexual Awareness Week! For Ace Week, I've put together a post of some books with ace spec characters that I've enjoyed (and as usual, had a difficult time narrowing it down and choosing books!). I've also listed my own books with ace spec characters below, if you're looking for some more fantasy romance with ace spec characters.

Book Recs for Hispanic Heritage Month

10/4/2025

For Hispanic Heritage Month, I'm sharing some books by Latinx authors that I've enjoyed. It's always difficult to make these lists, since there are so many great books, and I have a miserable time choosing and then invariably I remember a bunch I wish I'd included...sigh. In any case, here are some books I hope you enjoy:

Book Recs for Bisexuality Day

9/23/2025

Happy Bi Day of Visibility! I'm sharing some recommendations of books with bisexual main characters to mark the day. I always try to share different books than I have in the past, but there absolutely might be some repeats (which probably means I really liked the book since it keeps coming to mind...?).