Nell Cavallo, a passionate reader from Sydney, shares her love for backlist books and the seasonal reading dilemmas she faces. She discusses how winter in the southern hemisphere ignites a quest for summer releases, highlighting the struggle of choosing the right titles amidst the vast sea of options. The conversation dives into the nostalgic pleasure of summer reading, emotional depth in literature, and the distinct literary culture of Sydney. Nell's insights on navigating literary choices create an engaging exploration of reading habits and preferences.
Keeping a reading journal enhances satisfaction by tracking thoughts and feelings, aiding future book selections based on personal preferences.
Nell Cavallo's seasonal reading approach highlights her struggle between embracing new releases and prioritizing beloved backlist books for summer.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of emotional resonance and intellectual stimulation in selecting impactful backlist titles for a fulfilling reading experience.
Deep dives
The Importance of Journaling for Readers
Keeping a reading journal can significantly enhance reading satisfaction by helping readers track their thoughts and feelings about each book. This exercise creates a deeper understanding of personal reading preferences, making it easier to select future reads. The host emphasizes that knowing what you love and why directly influences what you might enjoy next, and even highlights titles to potentially avoid. To assist readers in this process, a specific reading journal, 'My Reading Life,' is mentioned as a valuable resource.
Nell's Seasonal Reading Preferences
Nell Cavallo shares her unique approach to seasonal reading, noting a preference for contemporary titles in summer while seeking older backlist books during that season. This duality of interest often leaves her feeling overwhelmed when selecting backlist titles, as she wants to make careful choices among the many great options. Despite being drawn to new releases throughout the year, Nell enjoys discussing books with others, creating a sense of community around current titles. However, her enthusiasm often shifts as she navigates her extensive backlist while also feeling pressure to select the 'right' reads.
The Challenge of Balancing New and Backlist Reads
Nell expresses her struggles in balancing the pull of new releases with a desire to read more backlist books. She often begins the year with a resolution to focus on older titles but finds it difficult to stick to those plans. The excitement surrounding fresh releases frequently distracts her, leading to regret when she fails to prioritize her backlist intentions. This cyclical pattern highlights the challenge many readers face in managing their TBR piles while pursuing new literary experiences.
Books That Resonated with Nell
During the conversation, Nell discusses several books that have significantly impacted her reading experience. Titles such as 'Call Me By Your Name' and 'Dirt Music' are appreciated for their evocative landscapes and intense relationships. She values stories that not only engage her intellectually but also resonate emotionally, leading to a memorable reading experience. Conversely, she reflects on a book that didn't work for her, illustrating the personal nature of reading preferences and the influence of real-life experiences on one's enjoyment of literature.
Exploring New Recommendations
The discussion concludes with recommendations tailored to Nell's reading preferences, including 'Tin Man' by Sarah Winman and 'Whalefall' by Elizabeth O'Connor. Each suggestion aims to align with her desire for emotional depth and smart prose, while also considering her nostalgic connection to Sydney in 'You Be Mother.' As Nell navigates her summer reading goals, her excitement for exploring relatable and engaging stories is palpable. The recommendations provide a fresh opportunity for her to dive into beloved themes of love, loss, and personal connections.
Many of the readers we talk to tune into the seasons to inspire their next read, and today's guest has a twist on the usual seasonal reading dilemma: Nell Cavallo is joining Anne today from midsummer in Sydney, Australia.
When Nell sent in her guest submission for the show, she told us that as a southern hemisphere reader, winter meant reading the shiny and new titles that are summer releases here in the U.S. For Nell, her summer reading was all about backlist titles.
Nell loves reading backlist, but she agonizes over choosing what older books to read next, because there are just so many good backlist books to read. She wants to make careful choices, she wants them to be the right ones, and it can leave her feeling stuck. Today we'll talk about that and Anne recommends titles that provide her with that brain-fizzy feeling she loves, especially books that are emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating.
Find the list of titles mentioned today and share your suggestions for Nell by leaving a comment on our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/461.
It's a new reading year and that makes it a great time to start a new journal: keeping track of what you're reading has a big impact on your reading satisfaction. Anne's reading journal, My Reading Life, is the perfect companion for your year of reading. Get yours at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop or at your local bookstore.