FictionMatters Newsletter

Hey readers! In the last of this batch of guest posts, my friend and Novel Pairings co-host Chelsey Feder explores how reading romance novels has enhanced her literary fiction reading. Chelsey is the person I talk most with about books, reading, content creation, parenthood…you name it. So it’s always a treat to read Chelsey’s writing and learn something new about her reading life.

Nov 8 • 40M Appears in this episode book news from my life and around the internet I've logged another great reading month in the books, and today I'm recapping all the books I read in October. I should also share that I am sooooo close to finishing Lies & Sorcery. This was one of two books from my Fall Fiction Compendium that I didn't quite finish before the guide came out. I know a few of you are planning to read it in November, so … This episode is for paid subscribers

This monthly podcast series is a perk for paid newsletter subscribers and Patreon Book Club members. Patreon members, you have access to my September Ranked Reading Recap here.

Thanks to everyone who joined last night to listen to me talk about books for NINETY MINUTES!! I had so much fun gushing about these books and I hope it helped you figure out which you want to prioritize! In this post, you'll find the (completely unedited) audio recording of the event alongside Maddie's awesome notes. I'm sorry there aren't …

Aug 25 • 42M Appears in this episode book news from my life and around the internet In the last installment of Summer Samplings, I’m talking with FictionMatters contributor Maddie Stough. Maddie was instrumental in putting together this year’s Paperback Summer Reading Guide and is now embroiled with my forthcoming fall reading guide as well. In today’s episode, Maddie talks about the books she read and loved from the PSRG, as well as c… This episode is for paid subscribers

Today I’m sharing my Ranked Reading Recap for July and—because I’m in the middle of vetting titles for my fall guide—I’m trying something a little different. In today’s podcast, I’ve ranked the books I read outside of consideration for the guide, but I did not rank any fall releases. Instead, I’m presenting them in rapid-fire style so you c…

Last year, I had a PSRG category titled "Infinitely Discussable Reads." While I think almost any book can be enhanced by a great conversation, there are some books that lend themselves particularly well to a book club or seminar. As an English teacher, it was part of my job to find books that would be worth discussing of the course of 4-6 w…

Today I'm bundling books from the Paperback Summer Reading Guide with buzzy 2023 summer releases. Some of these are "if you like this, read this" matches, while others are more in the line of reading projects where reading the two together may enhance the experience of both. If you have other book pairings for the PSRG titles drop them her…

Jul 7 β€’ 41M In which best book of the year contenders abound book news from my life and around the internet June was one of my best reading months EVER. I read 13 books, which is less than my average this year but a number that felt pretty good to me. I genuinely loved all but one of them (and that one I’d still recommend to the right reader) and discovered at least five books that will be vying for spots in my top 10 books of the year.

Hey Book Clubbers! Today I’m joined by recurring FictionMatters contributor Liz Hein. You probably know Liz from her IG handle @lizisreading_ where she shares thoughtful reviews for the astounding number of books she reads each year. Last year, Liz joined me to talk about our best books of the year. We had so much fun we decided we couldn’t wait until the end of 2023 to do it again so today we’re sharing our best books of the year so far.