The Eclectic Reader

Anchor Texts: Introducing 'Country Place' by Ann Petry and Annotating Chapters 1-2

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chelsey.substack.comHey 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 Country Place, 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.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. We will meet via video call to discuss Country Place on February 25 at 6 pm Central/7 pm Eastern.Links to our book club meeting and our exclusive Discord chat await you on Substack.

The best books He Read and She Read in 2025

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.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!Books Mentioned* The Palace of Rogues series by Julie Anne Long* The Ferryman by Justin Cronin* The Passage by Justin Cronin* The Twelve by Justin Cronin* Audition by Katie Kitamura* 5 books to read if you liked Audition* Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry* The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne* We Few by Nick Brockhausen* Whispers in the Tall Grass by Nick Brockhausen* Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen* MACV-SOG (Wikipedia)* Sex of the Midwest by Robin Ryle* The Street by Ann Petry* Country Place by Ann Petry* The Anchor Texts Project* The Stormlight Archive series Brandon Sanderson* The Dark Tower series by Stephen King* Grant by Ron Chernow This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chelsey.substack.com/subscribe

Romance novels I did NOT include in The Fall 2025 Romance Collection

Hey, Eclectic Readers! I’m taking you on a behind the scenes tour of The Fall 2025 Romance Collection 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. Books Mentioned* Mate by Ali Hazelwood* Bride by Ali Hazelwood* People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young* Soul Searching by Lyla Sage* After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian* The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh* Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer* Learning Curves by Rachel Lacey* Love Walked In by Sarah Chamberlain* An Academic Affair by Sarah Chamberlain This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chelsey.substack.com/subscribe

Favorite Reads from Summer 2025

Hey readers! I’m excited to be back on the mic for a seasonal reading wrap-up. I have more podcast episodes coming your way, including monthly reading reflections for paid subscribers. Grab a 20% discount on annual subscriptions and get your TBR lists ready!Books Mentioned* Reel by Kennedy Ryan* Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood* Under Your Spell by Laura Wood* Alanna: The Graphic Novel Adaptation by Tamora Pierce, Vita Alaya, and Sam Beck* Promise by Rachel Eliza Griffiths* The Wedding by Dorothy West* Copper Script by KJ Charles* Audition by Katie KitamuraAlso Mentioned* Eclectic Recs* Unstacked Reads Ranked* Fiction Matters Ranked Reading Recap This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chelsey.substack.com/subscribe

The best books He Read & She Read in 2023

Happy New Year’s Eve! I’m so excited to share this special 2023 wrap-up podcast episode with you all. If you’ve followed my creative journey online for the last several years, you know I used to host a podcast called He Read She Read with my husband and favorite bookstore browsing buddy, Curtis. We discussed books in a book club style format, shared recommendations based on audience requests, and discussed our different reading tastes and approaches to the reading life. It was a blast, and I learned so much about podcasting, sharing work with an audience, and generating entertaining, educational content. Curtis deployed in 2020, we had our son in 2021, and we moved in 2022. It was a LOT, and we had to put the podcast on permanent hiatus. We won’t be returning any time soon, but I thought it would be fun to bring Curtis on for a special end of year episode for my Eclectic Readers. Thank you for your continued support as I navigate new platforms and projects. I hope you enjoy today’s little blast from the past. How to listen to Substack podcasts in your podcast app.Books MentionedThe Way of Kings by Brandon SandersonThe Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBrideThe Color of Water by James McBrideTom Lake by Ann PachettAlexander the Great by Philip FreemanHannibal by Philip FreemanThe Ferryman by Justin CronanThe Last Ranger by Peter HellerThe Golden Spoon by Jessa MaxwellAlone at Dawn by Dan SchillingMore of Chelsey’s 2023 Favorites2023 Romance NovelsOut On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-YoungDisoriental by Negar DjavadiMonsters by Claire DedererCongratulations, the Best is Over! by R. Eric ThomasFamily Lore by Elizabeth AcevedoThe Rachel Incident by Caroline O’DonoghueYou Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie SmithSaturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan StradalA Little Devil in America by Hanif AbdurraqibSome of the links in this newsletter are 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.To find out more about my current reads, favorite things, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with accessible guidance and a cozy community, check out the Novel Pairings podcast and Patreon. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chelsey.substack.com/subscribe