[How it Works](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/how-it-works/) [Bookshop](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/books/bindery/) [Publishing](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/publishing/) [Team](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/team/) [Contact](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/contact/) Log in or Sign up Recommended Reading Paul Coccia Save to Your Books [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/93066/9781638931492) [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1638931496?tag=4hMtAod) 100% of affiliate revenue supports R&R Reads “Recommended Reading is swoon-worthy in every possible way! Bobby's story is a sheer delight and an ode to book lovers everywhere who believe that the magic of stories reaches beyond the page.” —Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author In this opposites-attract YA rom-com inspired by _Emma_, a failed romantic gesture puts a damper on a queer teen bookseller’s summer of book matching and matchmaking until a handsome lifeguard and romance skeptic waltzes into his bookstore. Sometimes you get a second chance at happily ever after when you least expect it . . . Curvaceous, clever, and an avid reader, seventeen-year-old Bobby Ashton never misses a main character moment. So when it comes to asking out his crush, he plans a romantic gesture grand enough to go down in local history. Unfortunately, though, his extensive knowledge of every rom-com trope ever doesn’t prepare him for how tragically he misreads the situation. Suddenly Bobby’s very public romantic gesture turns into an ordeal so embarrassing it could be a villain origin story. Having masterfully shattered every plan for his perfect summer before college, Bobby’s last resort is working at his uncle’s sleepy bookstore. Soon, Bobby is expertly recommending books for customers to perfectly cure what ails them. Attempting to rebound after a breakup? There’s a book for that. Trying to tame your crotchety coworker? There’s a book for that too. Then a plot twist Bobby never saw coming walks through the door in the form of Luke, an unfairly attractive and staunchly anti-romantic lifeguard. Bobby’s blossoming connection with Luke reminds him of some of his favorite tropes: grumpy-sunshine, quippy banter, and even forced proximity. But after his last romantic disaster, should Bobby use all the tricks in his arsenal to turn Luke’s head? Or is he misreading all the signs again? Do grand gestures really need to be so . . . grand? Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Kacen Callender, and Jason June, _Recommended Reading_ is a bighearted rom-com about discovering love beyond what’s in the books . . . but hey, the perfect recommendation can get you pretty far! Show more Get the Bindery app * * * Posts about this title from R&R Reads [R&R Reads\\ \\ Ebony\\ \\ • Feb 20 2025](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/) [🍃✨2025 Anticipated Releases PART TWO](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/item/4iaNGgDhcRngA9eCvmKw/) 🍃✨2025 Anticipated Releases PART TWO \*via Goodreads …some of these do feel like speculation but aye…the post is already up. 🤷🏾‍♀️don’t get mad at me get mad at Goodreads…and then delete it and download StoryGraph to support a black owned business😉 #bookstagram #books #romancebooks #fantasybooks #blackauthors #diverseauthors #diversebooks #2025bookreleases * * * 42 books 2 Posts about this book from across Bindery [Fat Forward Books\\ \\ Samantha Puc\\ \\ • Aug 20 2025](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [2025 New Releases By Fat Authors, About Fat Experiences](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/item/MryPOQ5MBhymL3v0Ioi1/) This non-exhaustive list of 2025 books by fat authors, about fat experiences, and featuring fat characters spans genre, theme, and mood. * * * 65 books [The Very Queer Library\\ \\ Jacob Demlow\\ \\ • Jul 15 2025](https://theveryqueerlibrarian.binderybooks.com/) Join for free \\ \\ The exclusive _Bookish People_ book list is now available for the **Friends of the Library** paid tier members! 💕📖\\ \\ Upgrade to a **Friend of the Library** to access it now!\\ \\ #BookishPeople #BookList #FriendsOfTheLibrary\\ \\ Join for free or login](https://theveryqueerlibrarian.binderybooks.com/item/vFDo5DL3EFPjAQFWC44R/) [📚 New Book List Alert: Bookish People](https://theveryqueerlibrarian.binderybooks.com/item/vFDo5DL3EFPjAQFWC44R/) * * * 6 books 1 [Fat Forward Books\\ \\ Samantha Puc\\ \\ • Jun 4 2025](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Fat Forward Books: Pride Recommendations 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/item/Ha0dSSaPXTDstPle5ZTp/) Happy Pride from Fat Forward Books! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ If you’re looking for fat & LGBTQIA+ books to add to your TBR, we’ve got you covered. * * * 71 books 2 [Fat Forward Books\\ \\ Samantha Puc\\ \\ • Apr 29 2025](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [2025 Books By Fat Authors & About Fat Experiences](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/item/VZS60qpuUcds5ZCUfyX1/) Books by fat authors, about fat experiences, and featuring fat characters with 2025 release dates. * * * 75 books 11 [Fat Forward Books\\ \\ Samantha Puc\\ \\ • Apr 11 2025](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Thanks for checking out Fat Forward Books on Bindery! This post features links to my writing about fatness across the years, from representation of fatness in fiction to how conceive of a fully fat liberationist future. In addition to sharing my new work on social media, I'll also update this list with links each time I publish a new piece about fatness, especially in books!\\ \\ **Fatness in Books** \\ \\ - We're Here, We're Fat and Queer ( _Publishers Weekly_, April 2025) \[Digital Version\]\\ \\ - Review: PLAIN JANE AND THE MERMAID is a fast-paced fairytale with a complex finale ( _The Beat_, May 2024)\\ \\ - Read the full story ‘CADENCE’ from the SHARP WIT anthology ( _The Beat_, May 2024)\\ \\ - 10 Books to Read for Fat Liberation Month ( _The Mary Sue_, August 2023)\\ \\ - ‘Fat Off, Fat On’ Author Clarkisha Kent on Why Her Younger Self Would Be Scandalized ( _The Mary Sue_, May 2023)\\ \\ - X-Tremists #3 Proves Blob ISN’T the Best Mutant – But He Could Be ( _Shelfdust_, April 2021)\\ \\ - Book Thoughts: Your Body Is Not an Apology Workbook (Blog, March 2021)\\ \\ - Faith Taking Flight Author Julie Murphy Says She Would Love to Write Comics ( _CBR_, July 2020)\\ \\ - Review: Julie Murphy's Faith Taking Flight Establishes An Important Superhero Origin ( _CBR_, July 2020)\\ \\ - Young Readers Need Positive Fat Representation in Literature (We Need Diverse Books, June 2020)\\ \\ - Bitch Planet #3 and The Radical Fatness of Penny Rolle ( _Shelfdust_, January 2020)\\ \\ - Superhero Faith Herbert Gives Me Hope for a Fat-Positive Future ( _The Mary Sue_, November 2018)\\ \\ - We Need More Fat Heroes in Comics ( _The Mary Sue_, March 2018)\\ \\ \\ **Fatness in Non-Book Media** \\ \\ - Fat People Belong in Fantasy, Including TTRPGs ( _Rascal News_, May 2025)\\ \\ - This Element of ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard’ Means the World to Me As a Fat, Queer Gamer ( _The Mary Sue_, October 2024)\\ \\ - Review: ‘Empire Waist’ is the movie I needed as a fat teenager ( _The Mary Sue_, September 2024)\\ \\ - ‘Your Fat Friend’ Follows Author Aubrey Gordon From Anonymous Icon to Award-Winner & Bestseller ( _The Mary Sue_, December 2023)\\ \\ - Netflix’s ‘Survival of the Thickest’ Is a Stand-Out Debut Worthy of All the Praise ( _The Mary Sue_, July 2023)\\ \\ - Netflix’s ‘Dance 100’ Competition Series Does Nothing To Combat Fatphobia in the Dance Industry ( _The Mary Sue_, March 2023)\\ \\ - Hulu’s Shrill Season 3 Isn’t Perfect, but It Feels Like a Sendoff ( _The Mary Sue_, April 2021)\\ \\ - Game Thoughts: Little Nightmares (Blog, April 2021)\\ \\ - Shrill Is a Gift That Proves Why Fat People Should Tell Our Own Stories in Season 2 ( _The Mary Sue_, January 2020)\\ \\ \\ **More Writing About Fatness** \\ \\ - Response To Viral Advice Column Is a Reminder That Anti-Fat Bias Isn’t Limited To a Specific Gender or Sexuality ( _The Mary Sue_, January 2023)\\ \\ - When Systemic Fatphobia Works "For" You (Blog, April 2021)\\ \\ - Fat Liberation Is the Future ( _Autostraddle_, March 2020)\\ \\ - Cosplaying While Fat Roundtable: Experiences With Community and Cosplay ( _The Mary Sue_, September 2018)\\ \\ \\ _If you'd like to read a broader selection of my writing about topics including 2sLGBTQIA+ and disability representation in pop culture, visit_ _theverbalthing.com_ _._](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/item/c5LNbKWVOKUhu3co9beX/) [📌 Writing on Fatness](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/item/c5LNbKWVOKUhu3co9beX/) This pinned post features links to my writing about fatness across the years and will be updated with new work as it's published. * * * 28 books 4 [R&R Reads\\ \\ Ebony\\ \\ • Feb 20 2025](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/) [🍃✨2025 Anticipated Releases PART TWO](https://randrreads.binderybooks.com/item/4iaNGgDhcRngA9eCvmKw/) 🍃✨2025 Anticipated Releases PART TWO \*via Goodreads #bookstagram #books #romancebooks #fantasybooks #blackauthors #diverseauthors #diversebooks #2025bookreleases * * * 42 books 2