Guest Kim Hewlett, an avid reader who enjoys pairing books with the seasons, discusses her goal of reaching for the right books at just the right time. Anne recommends a whole bunch of books that take place during specific seasons and key moments, milestones, and holidays throughout the year. They explore time travel themes in books and discuss Richard Russo's novels. The episode also includes recommendations for summer reads and books perfect for different seasons.
The podcast provides a calendar-based guide for setting up a reading list for the year 2024, with book recommendations for each month based on themes and seasonal vibes.
The episode covers a range of genres and includes both fiction and non-fiction recommendations, offering a diverse selection for readers.
Middle-grade books suitable for younger readers are mentioned, emphasizing the importance of finding age-appropriate books that align with the specific season, mood, or events of each month.
The episode highlights the idea of selecting books that enhance the reading experience by capturing the essence of a particular season or moment, creating a more immersive and enjoyable journey throughout the year.
Deep dives
Summer Books: Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake
Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake by Carly Fortune are summer books that provide a strong sense of season. Reading these books by the lake during vacation enhanced the reading experience, as the settings and characters resonated with the summer vibes.
Seasonal Transition: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith captures the essence of the fall season. The story follows the protagonist, Franny, as she navigates life and experiences the ups and downs of growing up. The book paints a vivid picture of life in the early 1900s and conveys the excitement and fresh perspective that comes with the start of a new school year.
Memorial Day Weekend: Chances Are and The Summer Book
Chances Are by Richard Russo and The Summer Book by Tove Jansson are books that beautifully capture the essence of Memorial Day weekend and the transition into summer. Chances Are explores the dynamics of friendship, family tragedy, and the mysteries of the past. The Summer Book follows the adventures of a grandmother and granddaughter spending a summer together on a small island, providing lush descriptions of the natural world and gentle storytelling.
Transitions and Family: Amer Tolls and One Crazy Summer
Amer Tolls' Lincoln Highway, which spans from June 12th to June 21st, offers a summer road trip in the 1950s and explores the themes of family, friendship, and a mysterious disappearance many years prior. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia is a middle grade novel set in the summer of 1968, following the journey of three sisters who visit their estranged mother in California and navigate life's challenges and civil unrest in Oakland.
Summer Reading and British Classics: One Day
One Day by David Nichols is a British modern classic that takes place entirely on July 15th over a span of 20 years, delving into the complexities of friendship and a potential romance. It offers a unique structure and explores the idea that significant moments can shape our lives. Additionally, I recommend considering Blogger Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradl, which captures the essence of summer and family dynamics surrounding brewing beer.
Late Summer and Historical Fiction: Tom Lake and Go is a River
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, set during the cherry harvest in late August, captures the beauty and complexity of family dynamics. Go is a River by Shelley Reed is a historical and coming-of-age story set in a small Colorado ranch town. It spans several years and features a strong focus on late August in the plot, providing a vivid and engaging reading experience.
The Podcast Episode: Setting Up Your Reading List for 2024
-The podcast episode provides a calendar-based guide for setting up a reading list for the year 2024. The host suggests various books to read during each month of the year based on their themes and seasonal vibes.
-The episode covers a range of genres and includes both fiction and non-fiction recommendations. The books mentioned include "Rules of Civility" by Amor Towles for December, "The Half Moon" by Mary Beth Keane for January, and "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver for March.
-The host also mentions middle-grade books suitable for younger readers, such as "Small Spaces" by Katherine Arden for October, and "Pumpkinheads" by Rainbow Rowell for Halloween.
-The episode emphasizes the importance of finding books that align with the specific season, mood, or events of each month, making for a more immersive and enjoyable reading experience throughout the year.
Today, Anne is joined by Kim Hewlett to talk about creating a year of seasonal reading. Kim and her family relocated to Iowa a few years back, which led Kim to realize just how much she enjoys pairing books with the seasons. Kim's set a 2024 reading goal to reach for the right books at just the right time, no matter the time of year.
Kim's name may sound familiar: last fall Anne spoke with her daughter Noa in Episode 347: A reader's guide to tricky transitions. Today, Kim's excited to talk with Anne about leaning into a year of seasonally appropriate book selections. This is a theme we've heard repeatedly from our listeners lately, so we thought this could be really helpful for many of you: instead of recommending three books to Kim's particular taste, Anne recommends a whole bunch of books that take place during specific seasons and key moments, milestones, and holidays throughout the year.
We hope today's roundup of a whole year's worth of reading recommendations will tide you over for an extra week. This is our last episode of 2023, before our team takes some time off to enjoy relaxing (and reading, of course) over the holidays. We'll be back on January 2 with our next episode.
Find the complete list of all of the titles mentioned today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/411. While you're there, be sure to check out our shop: we have some great last-minute gifts, like a membership to our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. Gift your favorite reader a 3, 6, or 12 month membership: since it's digital, it's easy to deliver anywhere, anytime. Find out more at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop.
