10 books like I'll Be Taking This

By Olivia T. Turner,

Here are 10 books that I'll Be Taking This fans have personally recommended if you like I'll Be Taking This. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Book cover of My Best Friend, My Stalker

Emma Bray Author Of Stalking Sophie

From my list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved reading romance, and something about those jealous, possessive, alpha males just always got my heart racing. I love a hero who's all in from the get-go and will do anything for the woman he loves. He knows what he wants and goes after it. I also get how crazy busy we can be. I don't know about you, but I don't always have time to sit down and read a super long novel. Insta-love romances are short and spicy and don't take more than an hour or two to read. You can count on my insta-love stories to be filled with heat, passion, and happily ever afters.

Emma's book list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males

Emma Bray Why did Emma love this book?

This was the first insta-love book I ever read, and I've been hooked on short read romances ever since. You're thrown into the action right away with Peyton fleeing her stepbrother. Granger is a stranger, but he immediately steps in to protect her. Their chemistry is off the charts from the moment they meet. From the moment Granger sees her, he's all in, capitated, obsessed. He starts stalking her because he just can't help himself. There's nothing I love more than a good stalker romance, and this book checked all my boxes. 

By Jessa Kane,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Best Friend, My Stalker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I met him one night on a dark, empty road, while on the run from an unexpected enemy. He protected me without hesitation. Without question. From that moment forward, he made himself the center of my universe. I became the center of his, as well—to a degree that scared me as much as it excited me. Now, my best friend and roommate is close at all times. Even when I don't realize it. Even when I don't see him. But when I peer into the shadows and find him there, will I run away out of common sense? Or let…


Book cover of The Princesses

Emma Bray Author Of Stalking Sophie

From my list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved reading romance, and something about those jealous, possessive, alpha males just always got my heart racing. I love a hero who's all in from the get-go and will do anything for the woman he loves. He knows what he wants and goes after it. I also get how crazy busy we can be. I don't know about you, but I don't always have time to sit down and read a super long novel. Insta-love romances are short and spicy and don't take more than an hour or two to read. You can count on my insta-love stories to be filled with heat, passion, and happily ever afters.

Emma's book list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males

Emma Bray Why did Emma love this book?

This is insta-love at its finest. It's a modern-day fairytale with an arranged marriage. King Roman is looking for a princess to make his queen, and all he needs is just a picture of sweet Alena to know that he wants her to be his princess. He's completely obsessed with her right from the jump and can't even wait until their wedding night to get some time with her, even going so far as to sneak into her bedroom at night to see her. I loved the way he was so cold and impenetrable to the outside world, yet he totally melted for his princess.

By Alexa Riley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Princesses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Princess bundle includes the entire Princess Series with a BRAND NEW BONUS story at the end.

It's crowns galore as we give you all the brooding kings your heart can hold. Climb on your throne and adjust your tiara… we've got cherries to pop and heirs to make.


Book cover of Taken by the Stranger

Emma Bray Author Of Stalking Sophie

From my list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved reading romance, and something about those jealous, possessive, alpha males just always got my heart racing. I love a hero who's all in from the get-go and will do anything for the woman he loves. He knows what he wants and goes after it. I also get how crazy busy we can be. I don't know about you, but I don't always have time to sit down and read a super long novel. Insta-love romances are short and spicy and don't take more than an hour or two to read. You can count on my insta-love stories to be filled with heat, passion, and happily ever afters.

Emma's book list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males

Emma Bray Why did Emma love this book?

This book is so deliciously over-the-top. Forced into a marriage she doesn't want, Sophie gets desperate and makes a crazy post online, begging someone to kidnap her. Phoenix actually does it, and it's just an insane level of possessive hotness from then on out. Phoenix is dark and gruff and growly and everything an obsessive alpha male should be.

By Jenna Rose,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Taken by the Stranger as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

At thirteen, I was promised to another man. At eighteen, I was married off to him by my parents. A day before we would consummate our union, as a last ditch effort to save myself, I put an online ad asking for a stranger to take me away. I never thought it would actually happen. Now, the man holding me has no intention of ever letting me go. In fact, his plans for me are much more dark and twisted than anything I ever could have imagined.


Book cover of Stalking Her Sweetly

Emma Bray Author Of Stalking Sophie

From my list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved reading romance, and something about those jealous, possessive, alpha males just always got my heart racing. I love a hero who's all in from the get-go and will do anything for the woman he loves. He knows what he wants and goes after it. I also get how crazy busy we can be. I don't know about you, but I don't always have time to sit down and read a super long novel. Insta-love romances are short and spicy and don't take more than an hour or two to read. You can count on my insta-love stories to be filled with heat, passion, and happily ever afters.

Emma's book list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males

Emma Bray Why did Emma love this book?

Once again, I'm a sucker for a good stalker romance, and boy is Silas a hot stalker. He's not a creepy-type stalker but one who's just totally obsessed with the woman he loves. Everything he does is to keep Jamie safe, even if it is totally over the top. And Jamie is such a cute, goofy heroine. It's hard not to love her. This book had a bit of mystery element to it too, which was really cool. And, of course, it had MINK's signature: a kitty cat co-starring as a character. The way she includes a fluffy feline in all her books really gives them all a sweet touch.

By MINK,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stalking Her Sweetly as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Silas

Am I stalking my neighbor Jamie? Yes. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Surely not. Look, I realize it sounds bad, okay? But I take care of Jamie’s problems whenever they arise. Just look at her ex-boyfriend, for example. He was trouble. Now he’s not around anymore. See? I solve problems. Whenever Jamie needs help, I’ll be there for her. It’s just who I am. Besides, if you aren’t obsessed with the one you love, are you even in love?

Jamie

Someone is stalking me. I can’t figure out who it is, but I know they’re out there. And…


Book cover of Messages

Randy C. Dockens Author Of T-H-B

From my list on mystery with a science fiction feel.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by science fiction and by Biblical Scripture. That may seem dichotomous to some, but not to me. I have a passion for science and for Scripture because both bring understanding about our world from the microcosm to the macrocosm. My writings are a mixture of science and mystery with a science fiction feel and a Christian perspective. I like stories that show how truth arises even from the dark, confusing, and ambiguity of life to help one discover something about God they may not have considered before, and at the same time enjoy a fun, fast-paced, and exciting journey as they read.

Randy's book list on mystery with a science fiction feel

Randy C. Dockens Why did Randy love this book?

The main character sees messages in almost everything. I was impressed that even when he began to think himself crazy, he still stuck to his gut instinct and in the end was a hero rather than being insane as he and others sometimes thought. Conviction is a driving force that we sometimes too often give up on when the choices seem too hard.

By John Michael Hileman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Messages as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The David Chance Series: Messages, Voices, Lies

David Chance can see messages in the sea of words around him, messages that warn him of future events.

Words are everywhere-- on labels, magazines, sign posts, t-shirts-- everywhere. And as much as David Chance would like to hide from them, he can't. Words keep leaping off objects around him, forming messages in his mind. But how is this possible? Has his brain suddenly taken an evolutionary leap forward, or are the mysterious messages proof of divine intervention?

Driven to answer a question he'd long ago abandoned, and stalked by the killer he's…


Book cover of The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade

Diana E. Marsh Author Of Extinct Monsters to Deep Time: Conflict, Compromise, and the Making of Smithsonian's Fossil Halls

From my list on where authors infiltrate a wild community.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a nerd about all things museums and archives, which I teach and write about. I was trained as an anthropologist, and got really interested in using anthropology’s methods (namely ethnography) to do long-term, embedded, deep-dive fieldwork in bureaucratic settings, like big museums. I love reading books by journalists, economists, historians, and others who do ethnography and really embed themselves in different communities, places, and cultures.

Diana's book list on where authors infiltrate a wild community

Diana E. Marsh Why did Diana love this book?

This was the first book I read that was kind of an embedded object biography back when I was an undergraduate student in my second-ever anthropology class. I was totally hooked on the genre. This book follows t-shirts, from where cotton is picked, to where t-shirts are manufactured, printed, sold and distributed, to their disposal—including second lives on the used clothing market. “Who made your t-shirt?” as a great first starting question.

By Pietra Rivoli,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The keys to global business success, as taught by a T-shirt's journey

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy is a critically-acclaimed narrative that illuminates the globalization debates and reveals the key factors to success in global business. Tracing a T-shirt's life story from a Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory and back to a U.S. storefront before arriving at the used clothing market in Africa, the book uncovers the political and economic forces at work in the global economy. Along the way, this fascinating exploration addresses a wealth of compelling questions about politics, trade, economics, ethics,…


Book cover of How to Date a Nerd

Jennie Bennett Author Of #fangirlproblems

From my list on immerse in the world of K-pop and fangirl romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I watched my first K-drama, Heartstrings, on Netflix in 2011 I’ve become fascinated with Korean Pop Culture. I created one of the largest K-drama discussion groups on Facebook (KDA: Kdrama Anonymous) and published seven K-pop and K-drama-related Novellas. I traveled to Korea with my family in 2017 and was a panelist at Kcon in 2018. My passion for Korean Pop Culture has ventured into Webtoons and I often spend my time there catching up on all my favorite stories. I truly love Korean Culture and I’m happy to have participated in even a small part of it.

Jennie's book list on immerse in the world of K-pop and fangirl romance

Jennie Bennett Why did Jennie love this book?

Nerds are the new sexy in this adorable young adult rom-com. This story has an excellent character focus. Both Zoe and Zak have true character traits that don’t leave anything as fill-in-the-blank. It’s like reading about your two best friends getting together and giggling through the whole thing. Cassie Mae is a pro at comedy. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life. Even if the characters aren’t Korean—they are true nerds—so the fangirl-like pop-culture references of the characters make it amazing. There’s nothing to dislike about this book, it’s an all-around good time.

By Cassie Mae,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Date a Nerd as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Zoe has a great pair of legs, perky boobs, and wears exactly what she needs to show it all off. She works hard for the easy sleazy you only wish you were me reputation, burying who she really is---an all-out nerd. The only time Zoe gets to be herself is when she hides under her comforter to read X-Men comics, sending jealousy stabs at everyone who attends Comic-Con.

Zak's a geek to the core, shunned by everyone in school for playing Dungeons and Dragons at lunch and wearing "Use the Force" t-shirts. And Zoe's got it bad for the boy.…


Book cover of Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage

Marcia A. Zug Author Of Buying a Bride: An Engaging History of Mail-Order Matches

From my list on the history of love and marriage.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a family law professor, I spend a lot of time thinking about marriage. Although it is an extremely personal decision, the legal, social, and even political ramifications can be tremendous. Marriage is not just an individual choice. Each year, I teach my family law students that there are three parties to every marriage, the two spouses, and the state. The books on this list reveal how the state has influenced marital decision-making and also, how individual marital decisions have influenced the state. These books show that marriage can protect and benefit spouses, but that it can also harm them through the promotion and acceptance of society’s biases and prejudices. As the actress Mae West once stated, “Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution.” The following books highlight the wisdom of West’s words.

Marcia's book list on the history of love and marriage

Marcia A. Zug Why did Marcia love this book?

Today, most people marry for love, or at least hope to marry for love. However, the idea of the love match as the preferred form of marriage is a relatively recent development. In Marriage a History, Stephanie Coontz tells the story of marriage’s transformation from an economic arrangement into an emotional one and covers everything from caveman unions to the modern fight for same-sex marriage. The book is filled with colorful examples and amusing anecdotes, such as the story of one aristocratic mother’s dismay when her son actually falls in love with his intended bride (she worries this will hurt her economic bargaining power) yet ultimately, it leaves the reader contemplating the very serious question of what it means to fall in love and whether love has, or should have, anything to do with marriage.

By Stephanie Coontz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Marriage, a History as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Just when the clamor over "traditional" marriage couldn’t get any louder, along comes this groundbreaking book to ask, "What tradition?" In Marriage, a History, historian and marriage expert Stephanie Coontz takes readers from the marital intrigues of ancient Babylon to the torments of Victorian lovers to demonstrate how recent the idea of marrying for love is—and how absurd it would have seemed to most of our ancestors. It was when marriage moved into the emotional sphere in the nineteenth century, she argues, that it suffered as an institution just as it began to thrive as a personal relationship. This enlightening…


Book cover of Max and the Multiverse

Gabriella Zielke Author Of The Sound of Creation

From my list on set in multiple dimensions.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an MK, aka missionary’s kid, who ended up with more questions than answers about this thing called life. I nearly became an astrophysicist but chose finance as the safe bet, which led me to investing in over 150 early-stage tech startups. Along the way, I met and worked with people all over the world. Each with fascinating ideas about how and why we ended up on this waterlogged rock we call home. They say science fiction is the genre of philosophy, and I hope you agree if you get a chance to check out these fantastic books.  

Gabriella's book list on set in multiple dimensions

Gabriella Zielke Why did Gabriella love this book?

I would be lying if I said I love this book due to its stellar writing. Sorry, mate! It’s a great way to see through a teenager’s eyes what they might find and do in parallel worlds. And it has a pretty rad cat, who sometimes speaks with a British accent. 

Throw in a couple of orange lizard lesbians trying to chill on Europa, and you have yourself an escapist, if not absurd, book that will keep you entertained.

By Zachry Wheeler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Max and the Multiverse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An award-winning sci-fi comedy about a nerdy teen who tumbles through the multiverse.

It's spring break and Max is stuck at home all by himself. Just the way he likes it. He games online, feasts on junk, and wonders why his cat can suddenly talk.

Thanks to a bizarre mishap, Max has started shifting between parallel universes whenever he falls asleep. A curious affliction, and one that steadily erodes his sanity. Day after day, he awakes to a strange new reality and struggles to make sense of his surroundings.

But then one day he awakes to a hyper-advanced version of…


Book cover of The Year of Dan Palace

Adam Oster Author Of The Agora Files - Part 1

From my list on independent books you’ve never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an independent author, I’ve been lucky enough to find a wealth of other independent authors out there. People who are doing things that aren’t quite mainstream. Artists who are experimenting with the written word and doing truly unique things. Where the world is filled with books made for the sole purpose of being turned into movies, these authors are creating works of fiction that are suited for the written word. Masterpieces that will make you think and want to find even more new forms of fiction. Simply put, independent authors are pushing books into new realms that you simply can’t find in the mainstream market.

Adam's book list on independent books you’ve never heard of

Adam Oster Why did Adam love this book?

Like a male version of Eat Pray Love, where the main character doesn't seem to really learn anything from the experience and already started out rather selfish, The Year of Dan Palace shows us Dan's ongoing struggle with love in a world where he believes the end is nigh. His constant internal battle with himself over how he wants to live his life is at the forefront of every single moment in this captivating text, as we find ourselves yelling at the book in an attempt to convince Dan to get over himself and just start living life for once.

This book will grab you and hold you until you finish the final pages, all the time hoping that Dan does find some happiness, or at least validation of his greatest fears, by the time the book ends.

By Chris Jane,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Year of Dan Palace as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dan Palace has always played it safe. He chose the safe job. Married a safe woman. Rarely travels far from home. But something is missing – until a man named Tucker Farling delivers a doomsday prediction that changes his life. In the final minutes before the New Year, Dan musters the courage he desperately needs to embark on a quest to find that missing “something”: the sense of adventure and true magic he remembers from his youth, along with the love of his ex-wife, who has hated him since their wedding night nine years before. When things don’t go as…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in quarterbacks, soccer, and New York City?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about quarterbacks, soccer, and New York City.

Quarterbacks Explore 18 books about quarterbacks
Soccer Explore 61 books about soccer
New York City Explore 992 books about New York City