The Eclectic Reader

<p>A few months ago, I published a newsletter all about how I find book recommendations without any attention-sucking apps. It was my most popular newsletter to date, mostly because of all the comments and questions readers sent in about BookPage, a physical publication I pick up every single month at my public library. I reached out to the editor-in-chief of BookPage to see if we could chat about their book review process, and she said yes! I hope you enjoy my conversation with Trisha and Phoebe, two passionate editors whose love of reading shapes every issue of BookPage.</p><p>Curious about BookPage? Visit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bookpage.com/">their website</a> to learn more or follow them on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@readbookpage">TikTok</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/readbookpage/">Instagram</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://bsky.app/profile/readbookpage.bsky.social">Bluesky</a> @readbookpage. Purchase an <a target="_blank" href="https://subscribe.bookpage.com/">Individual Subscription</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bookpage.com/find/">Find BookPage</a> at your library or bookstore, and sign up for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bookpage.com/email/">BookPage Newsletters</a> in your inbox.</p><p>For more book recommendations, reading life reflections, or stories from my adventures in gardening, subscribe to <a target="_blank" href="http://chelsey.substack.com">The Eclectic Reader newsletter</a>.</p><p>Books Mentioned</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780385551502"><em>Dear Monica Lewinsky</em></a> by Julia Langbein</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781538770269"><em>The Missed Connection</em></a> by Tia Williams</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780807023440"><em>The Lesbian Bar Chronicles</em></a> by Rachel Karp</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780143124870"><em>A Tale for the Time Being</em></a> by Ruth Ozeki</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593832714"><em>The Typing Lady</em></a> by Ruth Ozeki</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781643755861"><em>The Magnificent Ruins</em></a> by Nayantara Roy</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781643757698"><em>Sisters of a Halved Heart</em></a> by Nayantara Roy</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780063511637"><em>Whistler</em></a> by Ann Patchett</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780060838720"><em>Bel Canto</em></a> by Ann Patchett</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780374609306"><em>The Yahoo Boys</em></a> by Carlos Barragán</p><p></p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://chelsey.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">chelsey.substack.com/subscribe</a>

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit <a href="https://chelsey.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_7">chelsey.substack.com</a><br/><br/><p>I read some fantastic, memorable books in February, and I have a lot to say about them in this episode! In addition to ten book reviews, I share how I’m grappling with inconsistency in my reading life as a mom with potential neurodivergence. I hope you enjoy this reading wrap-up—it’s one of my favorite newsletters to send out.</p><p>Books Mentioned</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780299339340"><em>Still True</em></a> by Maggie Ginsberg</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780525659181"><em>Kin</em></a> by Tayari Jones</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593733318"><em>Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage</em></a> by Belle Burden</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780063466487"><em>Evil Genius</em></a> by Claire Oshetsky</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780063260092"><em>Country Place</em></a> by Ann Petry</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780374609337"><em>Dominion</em></a> by Addie E. Citchens</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781538773116"><em>Dom-Com</em></a> by Adriana Anders</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781797234106"><em>The Story of Gumluck the Wizard</em></a> by Adam Rex</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781668092330"><em>An Academic Affair</em></a> by Jodi McAllister</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781250372444"><em>Meet the Newmans</em></a> by Jennifer Niven</p><p><em>Some of the links in this newsletter are Bookshop affiliate links. If you shop these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way.</em></p><p></p>

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit <a href="https://chelsey.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_7">chelsey.substack.com</a><br/><br/><p>Hey Readers! Welcome back to Anchor Texts, our quarterly book club and close reading series. I’m excited to continue our year of Ann Petry together with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.moonpalacebooks.com/item/Vus7kAU5V3XBC_A18boz5Q"><em>Country Place</em></a>, a slim, small town novel packed with tension. In today’s introductory episode, I’m sharing my annotations from the first two chapters, including notes on the narrator, possible themes to track, and Petry’s expertise in building suspense from the jump.</p><p>If you are new to Anchor Texts, welcome! Here are some previous posts to catch you up on our project—but please know you aren’t missing anything or “behind” if you’re just joining us now. This is a low key, loose schedule, choose-your-own-adventure kind of reading group. <strong>We will meet via video call to discuss </strong><strong><em>Country Place</em></strong><strong> on February 25 at 6 pm Central/7 pm Eastern</strong>.</p><p>Links to our book club meeting and our exclusive Discord chat await you on Substack.</p>

<p>Hey, Eclectic Readers! I’m excited to share my favorite reads of 2025 with all of you—and even more excited to welcome a special guest to this yearly wrap-up episode. My husband and former podcast co-host Curtis joins me today to discuss how parenting small children has impacted our reading lives, what books we loved this year, and what we’re hoping to read in 2026. You’ll get to experience the complete breadth of our reading tastes in this episode, with recommendations from nearly every genre.</p><p>Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for occupying the four-year-old, and to our one-year-old for napping long enough for us to record this episode. It took an entire month to make the time, and we both had terrible colds, but we got it done!</p><p>Books Mentioned</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780062867469">The Palace of Rogues series</a> by Julie Anne Long</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780525619499"><em>The Ferryman</em></a> by Justin Cronin</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780345504975"><em>The Passage</em></a> by Justin Cronin</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780345542373"><em>The Twelve</em></a> by Justin Cronin</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593852323"><em>Audition</em></a> by Katie Kitamura</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://chelsey.substack.com/p/5-books-to-read-if-you-liked-audition">5 books to read if you liked </a><a target="_blank" href="https://chelsey.substack.com/p/5-books-to-read-if-you-liked-audition"><em>Audition</em></a></p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781439195260"><em>Lonesome Dove</em></a> by Larry McMurtry</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780316575171"><em>The Devil Three Times</em></a> by Rickey Fayne</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781636240534"><em>We Few</em></a> by Nick Brockhausen</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781612007755"><em>Whispers in the Tall Grass</em></a> by Nick Brockhausen</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780316441421"><em>Surprise, Kill, Vanish</em></a> by Annie Jacobsen</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Assistance_Command,_Vietnam_%E2%80%93_Studies_and_Observations_Group">MACV-SOG</a> (Wikipedia)</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9798998954702"><em>Sex of the Midwest</em></a> by Robin Ryle</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780358187547"><em>The Street</em></a> by Ann Petry</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780063260092"><em>Country Place</em></a> by Ann Petry</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://chelsey.substack.com/p/anchor-texts-a-quarterly-practice">The Anchor Texts Project</a></p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780765365279">The Stormlight Archive series</a> Brandon Sanderson</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781501143519">The Dark Tower series</a> by Stephen King</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780143110637"><em>Grant</em></a> by Ron Chernow</p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://chelsey.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">chelsey.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p>Hey, Eclectic Readers! I’m taking you on a behind the scenes tour of <a target="_blank" href="https://chelsey.substack.com/p/the-2025-fall-romance-collection">The Fall 2025 Romance Collection</a> to share how I source books, sort books, and cement my final curated list. Along the way, you’ll find out which books did NOT make the final cut, and why. I hope you enjoy this chatty how-did-this-get-made episode, and I can’t wait to share more podcast chats with you soon. </p><p>Books Mentioned</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593952580"><em>Mate</em></a> by Ali Hazelwood</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593550403"><em>Bride</em></a> by Ali Hazelwood</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593871881"><em>People Watching</em></a> by Hannah Bonam-Young</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9780593977774"><em>Soul Searching</em></a> by Lyla Sage</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://books2read.com/dooryard"><em>After Hours at Dooryard Books</em></a> by Cat Sebastian</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781335143761"><em>The Sea Witch</em></a> by Eva Leigh</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781250393074"><em>Witch of the Wolves</em></a> by Kaylee Archer</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781662529238"><em>Learning Curves</em></a> by Rachel Lacey</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781250894748"><em>Love Walked In</em></a> by Sarah Chamberlain</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1154/9781668092330"><em>An Academic Affair</em></a> by Jodi McAlister</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://chelsey.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">chelsey.substack.com/subscribe</a>