Welcome back to our ongoing series about The Age of Innocence! This week we’re discussing when a thought becomes a sin in this book, whether there’s enough substance in Newland for a woman like Ellen to fall in love with him, Newland’s obsession with fate (even if he has manufacture some), Ellen as representative of European culture for Newland, and much, much more. Happy listening!

Hey CRHQ subscribers, welcome to a new monthly series on which we’ll be discussing a variety of really good short stories! This month, it’s Elmore Leonard’s western about a deputy, an outlaw, and one long day. Plus, we talked about what we want this series to cover, what makes an interesting short story, and why Leonard is a writer worth reading. Happy …

Welcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s excellent novel. This week we talk about the way the two main female characters have emerged, how we respond to Newland’s dilemma, the moral conditions of the novel’s world, and much more. Happy listening!

To learn about The Tapestry curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here!

Let’s talk about the battle of Agincourt and King Henry’s Crispin’s Day speech. Plus: what is the purpose of the low plot in this play, the use of language and rhetoric throughout, how Henry emerges from the shadow of his father and Falstaff, and what it means to be a good king. Happy listening!

Welcome to our first series of the new year, as we jump into Edith Wharton’s novel of the Gilded Age, The Age of Innocence. This we discuss the way Wharton uses Newland Archer’s unique point-of-view, the nature of the Countess’ role in the story (and in Newland’s life), the book’s contemplation of the changing society, and much much more. As always, happy listening!

Welcome to our longest episode of the year, during which we discuss our favorite reading experiences of the year, share our individual top five books, and drop some news about HQ books for 2026. Happy new year from all of us at Close Reads!

Hello Close Reads Community!

I hope each of you had a lovely Christmas and that this email is hitting your inbox while you are curled up somewhere with a great book. Sorry for the quick distraction.

As you probably know, we also have lots of bonus content for those who support the show by subscribing here on Substack at Close Reads HQ. If that’s you, thank you. We are able to keep making the show because of your belief.

As I wrote last year, Close Reads isn’t the single most expensive endeavor to produce but it’s also not inexpensive. So, truly, when you subscribe, you keep the show going. Thank you!

In 2026, there will be a few changes alongside the old standby content, including a couple of new additions we are very excited about. Here’s a summary of the subscriber benefits for the new year, with new/changes notated by the bold:

• Bonus episodes on longer books

• Monthly mystery novel episodes (yes, the “Murder Pod” persists)

• Access to a brand new monthly series on which we will discuss great short stories*

• Access to a monthly live poetry hour, hosted by Sean Johnson through The Daily Poem pod (see below for a note on this)

• A quarterly Zoom hangout session with other members of the CR community featuring a Commonplace Notebook potluck (These will take place in February, May, July, and October).

• Other one-off episodes we decide to drop . . . just because

• Early access to special event registration (for Founding Members)

A few things to note:

• Yes, the monthly live poetry hour will be moving over to The Daily Poem, the poetry show that Sean hosts. Heidi and I will make it as we are able! This is a subscriber benefit for TDP, but CRHQ subs will be grandfathered in.

• As with last year, insider episodes do not include the Great Winnowing episode where we choose books for the next year. That will remain free. But they would include episodes kind of like that one.

Whether you listen to every episode we produce or you just tune in every now and then, thank you for being a part of the Close Reads community. It’s a joy to be able to discuss great books with wonderful people who love to read the way we do.

Oh—and if you’ve been considering subscribing, are debating whether to renew your subscription, or would like to send a “Happy New Year” gift to a loved one, you can get an annual subscription this week for 20% off.

Get 20% off for 1 year

Okay, distraction over—you can get back to reading . . .

Happy New Year!

It’s time to dig in to the final play in our ongoing series about Shakespeare’s Henriad. This, of course, means that its time to discuss one of the most legendary figures in English history, a man of both action and speeches, one of the men who most shaped the way Elizabethan England thought about itself. In this episode we discuss Shakespeare’s use of …

You had questions, we had answers, so join us for the final conversation about Shakespeare’s classic comedy! We talk about Margaret’s culpability, Don Pedros rejections, Claudio’s turn, Dogberry’s wisdom, and much more! Happy listening!

Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: E.C.R Loran’s story about a provincial small town with more secrets than it wants to reveal. As always we discuss the big picture view before digging into the categories. Thanks for the support and happy listening! And be sure to let us know what you thought of this one in the comments below.