Writers Read: Mara Williams

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Mara Williams

Mara Williams drafted her first novel in third grade on a spiral notebook—a love story about a golden retriever and the stray dog who admired her from beyond the picket fence. Now she writes about strong, messy women finding their way in the world. Williams is the author of The Truth Is in the Detours and The Epicenter of Forever. When not writing or reading, she can be found enjoying California’s beaches, redwoods, and trails with her husband, three kids, and disobedient dog.

Recenty I asked Williams about what she was reading. Her reply:

Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel.

The Bachelor meets Miss Congeniality in this hilarious romcom about a reporter who goes undercover as a contestant on a dating show and finds out the host is her one-night-stand from a year ago, and whoops…she might be falling for the wrong person. The hijinks and shenanigans in this one are unmatched. I caught myself laughing out loud and swooning in equal measure. It’s perfect for fans of reality television and classic romcoms, and for anyone looking for an infusion of joy in their fiction.

The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie.

This romance tackles divorce, infidelity, and infertility, and does so with unparalleled wit and warmth. It has a deep emotional range and prose so beautiful it will win over even the most hardened romance skeptic. At one point, I couldn’t read the page through my tears, and at another, my family asked me why I was laughing so hard. It breaks the writing rules in all the best ways to produce a book that’s both startlingly fresh and comfortingly familiar.

Wreck by Catherine Newman.

I was so excited when Catherine Newman released this follow-up to Sandwich, one of my all-time favorites. We join the anxious, big-hearted protagonist Rocky again—this time back home—and follow her as she navigates aging, grief, and the complexities of accepting all the imperfect versions of her loved ones and herself.

How About Now by Kate Baer.

I read this book of poetry in one sitting, with tears in my eyes and warmth in my heart. The slim volume grapples with the demands of motherhood, womanhood, and midlife in poems that are often sharp and always tender. Her poems depict struggles that are both timeless and uniquely of the moment: the unequal division of labor in modern marriage, the ephemerality of watching our children grow, and the vulnerability of being human.

August Lane by Regina Black.

This is a perfectly crafted second-chance, multi-point-of-view, dual timeline romance where each plot point and perspective is critical to the hard-won happily ever after. It’s set within the high-stakes world of country music and follows three Black country western musicians trying to break in or hang on to transient success in an industry that has forcibly excluded them. It’s heart-wrenching and soul-healing.