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.

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Books Mentioned

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Color of Water by James McBride

Tom Lake by Ann Pachett

Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman

Hannibal by Philip Freeman

The Ferryman by Justin Cronan

The Last Ranger by Peter Heller

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

Alone at Dawn by Dan Schilling

More of Chelsey’s 2023 Favorites

2023 Romance Novels

Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

Disoriental by Negar Djavadi

Monsters by Claire Dederer

Congratulations, the Best is Over! by R. Eric Thomas

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib

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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.

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