Welcome to Shelf-Confidence. Designed to help you figure out what you like to, loathe to, and need to read. We’re tapping in some of our favorite authors, creators, and all-around Lit Girls to help you learn how to define your literary taste.
Amidst a sea of saccharine cartoon covers are four books that look like they laid down on a tattooist’s bench and asked for a whole lot of yeehaw in the American Traditional style. Lyla Sage’s novels are catnip for those of us who considered watching all three hours of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly just to look at a young Clint Eastwood, or, for anyone who streamed Yellowstone and its spinoffs and thought “yeah, that looks better than $15 salads and Slack notifications.”
Sage has become one of the reigning queens of Western Romance. Her debut novel, Done and Dusted did so well as an independently published novel that it was later picked up for a traditional publishing deal with Dial Press (who publishes all of Sage’s books now). Not to mention the entire Rebel Blue Ranch series has been optioned by Universal TV. (Get ready to fan cast.)
We talked to Sage about how she figured out what she likes to read, what she is looking forward to reading, and where she gets her inspiration from (take notes if you’re looking to read more cowboy romances).
What are three books that define your taste?
Currently, I’d say My Heart is a Chainsaw – Stephen Graham Jones, Dracula – Bram Stoker, and The Dead Romantics – Ashley Poston. Bonus: Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey. Each one of these books changed something for me when I read them and burrowed their way right under my collarbone.
Even now, though, my taste is deeply informed by the stuff I read when my brain was still malleable: a lot of John Green and Rick Riordan…and a lot of omegaverse on AO3, okay!
What do you look for when you pick up a book?
Of course, I want a banging premise and dynamic characters, but lately, I’ve been really digging when authors make unexpected narrative or stylistic choices. A semi-recent example of this in romance is Not in Love by Ali Hazlewood. I loved the way she played with both first and third person narratives for the main characters. It created this unique story rhythm that I loved following. I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones comes to mind, too. It’s told in a stream-of-consciousness style as our protagonist recalls his reluctant murderous rampage. I felt so much empathy for this crazed killer, and I cried multiple times. It’s masterful!
I’m also really drawn to what I call “fever dream reads,” which is exactly what it sounds like: books that kind of feel like a fever dream—like Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series and anything by Shirley Jackson.
Do you judge a book by its cover?
Absolutely, without a doubt. But I don’t really pick up a book based on whether I think the cover is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, rather whether I think it’s distinctive. I like covers I feel like I’ve never seen before or I feel like are unapologetic in their vision.
What are some books in the romance/cowboy genre that inspired you to write your own novels? Do you read your own genre?
The first Western Romance that I read was Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath. I found the Mass Market Paperback at a library sale. I grew up reading classic Westerns and watching Spaghetti Western films, and I’ve always been enamored by my own surroundings, but that book was the first Western ‘Capital R’ Romance that I read. I dove into historical romances heavy after that and eventually made my way back to contemporary with Lorelei James and her Rough Riders series. The original covers are camp as hell! Before I wrote Done and Dusted, I had written a bunch of (bad) novels that all had some sort of Western flare. So, Western Romance came pretty naturally to me when it was time. I think it was more of a love of the subgenre that inspired me to write my books—not one book.
Generally, I don’t read romance while I’m drafting romance, so my romance TBR is massive at the moment. Every time I have a break in my publishing schedule—while I’m waiting for copyedits to come back usually—I black out and devour like nine or ten romance novels in a week. But I haven’t read a Cowboy/Western Romance since October 2022 unless I’ve been asked to blurb it—then I always make an exception! The most recent one I read was Love is a War Song by Danica Nava. It comes out in July, and I need everyone to read it!
What is a book (or two) that you are most looking forward to reading this summer?
I can’t wait to read Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrisey. I loved her last book—That Summer Feeling. It was so lush and vulnerable and hopeful. Her voice is so distinct, and I’m excited to dive back into her world! I’m also chomping at the bit for Isabel Cañas’s August release: The Possession of Alba Díaz. She’s possessed by a demon, and he’s an alchemist working at his uncle’s haunted silver mine—say less! Isabel is one of my favorite writers of all time. Her novels hit every beat for me.
My junior high librarian recently reached out to me to see if I wanted a few Sarah Dessen titles that were going to be retired this year since they purchased new editions. Of course, I said yes. I’m hoping to revisit those this summer, too! Also, the fact that I regularly talk to my school librarian (and also my seventh grade English teacher) probably tells you way too much about me, actually.
What is a green flag book you would see a potential crush reading?
Almost anything written by a woman. One of my favorite series of questions to ask on dates is “what’s the last book you read?” followed by “when’s the last time you read a book written by a woman?” The combination of the answer and the reaction to the question is deeply informative—for better or worse!
Also, don’t tell me you love sci-fi or space if you’ve never picked up an Ice Planet Barbarians book!
Hardcover vs Paperback?
Paperback, all the way! I’m a proud spine breaker and dog ear-er. Sometimes, I even fold the book pages in half because too many dog-eared corners have unfolded themselves in my day. I like my books to look well-loved and feel like mine.
Dream first edition to own?
Dracula or The Haunting of Hill House! I am very fond of my first editions of Twilight and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, though.
How do you organize your shelves (By Color, Genre, Author, etc.)?
I *try* to organize them by genre or category, but I am seldom successful. I have more books than I have space for, so I kind of just stick ‘em wherever they fit. When I’m on a video call in my office, whoever I’m talking to almost always says something to the degree of “your bookshelves are stressing me out,” because they’re in the background. But I like them that way!
Do you annotate or write in your books?
I do. I don’t have a system (there’s a running theme here, I think). But I always try to have a pen on me when I’m reading, and if I don’t, I’ll mark the page in a different way. I love annotating in the moment, but I love going back through my annotations even more. They’re like a time capsule. I love to reread books, so I’m always interested in what stood out to me in my previous reads, what that tells me about how I was feeling, and how it compares to the person I am now.
Check out more of Lyla’s work here, and make sure to pre-order Soul Searching from your local bookstore. x