Carly Watters

Not afraid of unlikable or "damaged" female characters. To me they’re more real (Girls on Fire, Luckiest Girl Alive, Dark Places etc.) #mswl

Domestic suspense/psychological thrillers more than woman’s journey (i.e. The Good Girl, Pretty Baby, The Widow, Husband's Secret) #mswl

Coming-of-age novels rooted in big plots & high stakes (i.e. Age of Miracles, Yonahlosee Riding Camp For Girls, The Fever, After Her) #mswl

Historical novel where the rich plot & important setting work together (i.e. Nightingale, Arcadia, Girl You Left Behind, Astonish Me) #MSWL

Fraught, complex, non-nuclear family drama. Also 6+ members. (The Nest, This Is Where I Leave You, Seating Arrangements, The Arrivals) #mswl

High stakes stories about moral dilemmas within dark family secrets (i.e. The Light Between Oceans, Nightingale, The Nest, Honor) #mswl

LOVE novels about complicated female friendships of all ages (i.e. Girls on Fire, The After Party, Friendship, Losing The Light) #mswl

Stories about complex mother/daughter relationships (i.e. Secrets of Lake Road, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, Reconstructing Amelia) #mswl

Stories about 1 event that changes the course of many lives (i.e. The Secret Keeper, Labour Day, Atonement, Tell The Wolves I’m Home) #mswl

This article just reminded me of a #MSWL I've had in the back of my mind qz.com/757333/the-ber… Would LOVE an East/West Germany love story.

I don't do historical pre-1890s. But I did dearly love Song of Achilles, so there you go. Story trumps all. #mswl

Life is messy! People are complex! So I think books should be too. I want to be spurred to reflect on my life choices & my future #MSWL

Open to memoir but it’s not one of my primary genres. I prefer essay collections (I’m a massive Meghan Daum fan) but are a tough sell #mswl

Non Fic by QUANTIFIABLE *experts* w/ platform! In business, career, lifestyle, parenting, health/wellness, cooking, pop culture #mswl

FYI my summer reading list: Modern Lovers, Sweetbitter, The Girls, Girls on Fire, Rich & Pretty, The Assistants, Better Half #mswl

Past/present narrative structure (i.e. Losing The Light, Last Letter From Your Lover, American Wife, Beautiful Ruins) #mswl

Sweeping multi POV plots that show all sides of a big story (i.e. Elin Hilderbrand, Jodi Picoult, Emma Straub, Liane Moriarty) #mswl

Plot driven study of human nature & families (i.e. Did You Ever Have A Family, Everything I Never Told You, When She Was Gone) #mswl

Plot driven study of marriage (i.e. Fates and Furies, The Vacationers, Mating For Life, Everything I Never Told You, After I Do) #mswl

Not afraid of unlikable or "damaged" female characters. To me they’re more real (Girls on Fire, Luckiest Girl Alive, Dark Places etc.) #mswl