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 Jodi McAlister

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

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 Kitamura

Also 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

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 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

Some 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

To wrap up my short summer podcast series on romance novels, I’m sharing broad musings on the genre’s trends, themes, and historical context. I’m getting pretty nerdy in this episode—if you like this conversational literary criticism, I highly recommend checking out my podcast with Sara Hildreth: Novel Pairings in which we hold educational chats like this one all the time.

Today I’m discussing:

* historical and social context in relation to romance novels

* the trend of “wholesome romance”

* starting over

* tight-knit friend groups and found families

* connecting today’s trends with our current moment in history

* I also reference: Recipe for a Summer Romance 2023

What romance trends and themes have you noticed in your summer reading this year? I would love to discuss this more in the comments with you!

Works Cited

* Where are romance novels headed given the current state of women’s issues? (Chicago Tribune)

* The Consolation of Genre: On Reading Romance Novels (Los Angeles Review of Books)

* Fascinating Trends in Romance 2023 (Book Riot)

* Popular Trends in Romance (Harlequin)

* Future Trends in Romance Novels (Reddit)

* Find your next romance read with the genre’s hottest trends (Goodreads)

* The Alarming Trend of the Wholesome Romance (Time)

Novel Pairings: Hot takes on the buzzy books of last summer & Summer book releases paired with backlist reads

Chelsey

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

Welcome to Recipe for a Bookish Life: the podcast! A few weeks ago, I shared the first episode in a small summer podcast series detailing my romance spice rating system, and today I’m sharing which romance novels did NOT make it into my curated list of summer romance books: Recipe for a Summer Romance. 

Thanks for reading Recipe for a Bookish Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I read (and DNF’ed) many, many romance novels before choosing my 12 final titles, and a few popular books stood out as worthy of discussing in this episode. I also share some under-the-radar gems that, while fabulous, did not meet the criteria for my list.

You can listen to this podcast episode in your internet browser, on the Substack app, or in your favorite podcast player. Here are some instructions to help you set it up.

Books Mentioned:

* The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

* Happy Place by Emily Henry

* Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

* The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

* Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman

* A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

* Knockout by Sarah Maclean

I’ll be back with one more summer romance episode this season. Let me know if you have specific questions, requests, or curiosities about Recipe for a Summer Romance—and feel free to share this episode with a romance reading friend.

Happy Romance Reading,

Chelsey

Thank you for reading Recipe for a Bookish Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Some 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 recipes, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with a cozy community and contemporary flair, check out the Novel Pairings Patreon community.

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

Welcome to Recipe for a Bookish Life: the podcast! I’m excited to experiment with this facet of Substack this summer to share behind the scenes morsels and scrumptious pairings for my curated list of summer romance novels: Recipe for a Summer Romance.

I’ve been podcasting in the literary space for about five years now, formerly on He Read She Read (listen to our backlog before we permanently shelve our episodes) and now on Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making classic literature readable, relevant, and fun. No matter what I’m creating, be it a romance list, an Instagram post, or notes on Jane Austen’s life, I am always thinking in podcasts. I love the podcasting medium as an opportunity to share stories, conversations, and detailed thoughts—especially on books and reading.

In today’s short podcast episode, I’m sharing how I created my spice scale for Recipe for a Summer Romance, what I find so tricky about rating romance novels, and where to find the nuance between a number three and four spice rating.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on spice ratings and summer romance reading in the comments. If you have specific, or sensitive, questions, feel free to send me a DM @chelseyreads on Instagram. This episode does include a discussion of sex and sexy books. Nothing detailed! But I don’t think I’ve ever said the word “sex” so many times within a 10 minute span, so pop your air pods in while listening to this episode, folks.

You can listen to this podcast episode in your internet browser, on the Substack app, or in your favorite podcast player (I recommend this method!). Here are some instructions to help you set it up.

Episode Outline:

* Why I’ve avoided spice ratings in the past

* Why I thought a scale was necessary for Recipe for a Summer Romance

* Why it was tough to conceptualize an inclusive, positive, and all encompassing spice scale

* Subjective

* Succinct

* Nuanced

* How I created my scale, with examples

* A few books from my summer romance list that I found extra challenging to rate

Books and Authors Mentioned:

* All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim

* Priest by Sierra Simone

* The Nanny by Lana Ferguson 

* Emily Henry (try Beach Read)

* Take a Hike by Mimi Grace

* Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

* An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Other Links:

* The Scoville Scale

* On Steaminess and Subjectivity from Moonstruck Reads

I’ll be back on the Substack podcasting platform with more summer romance episodes this season. Let me know if you have specific questions, requests, or curiosities about Recipe for a Summer Romance—and feel free to share this episode with a romance reading friend.

Happy Romance Reading,

Chelsey

Some 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 recipes, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with a cozy community and contemporary flair, check out the Novel Pairings Patreon community.

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

New year, same nerdy readers. We’re talking about what we learned about our reading lives last year, and what we’re planning for 2021. Plus, we share which books are on our priority TBR lists. We’re still adjusting to a new recording space set-up since Curtis got back from deployment, so bear with us as we calibrate some background noise.

 

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Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/hereadsheread/

Get two audiobooks for the price of one w/code HRSR: https://libro.fm/redeem/hrsr

 

Shop our book recs with the affiliate links below:

 

Curtis:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

Alone at Dawn by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz

Three Ring Circus by Jeff Pearlman

Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 

Grant by Ron Chernow

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Name of the Wind (anniversary edition) by Patrick Rothfuss

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K Jemisin

 

Chelsey: 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Euphoria by Lily King

The Pleasing Hour by Lily King

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

The Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward 

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

 

Recommendations of the week:

Curtis - Ted Lasso

Chelsey - Bridgerton

Curtis is back! Today we’re sharing our favorite books of 2020, plus an overview of how the circumstances of this year affected our reading lives. How would you describe your reading life this year?

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Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/hereadsheread/

Get two audiobooks for the price of one w/code HRSR: https://libro.fm/redeem/hrsr

Or give the gift of audiobooks: https://libro.fm/gift?cmp=hrsr

Find Chelsey’s year-end lists: @chelseyreads

 

Shop our favorite with the affiliate links below:

 

Curtis:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

The Only Plane In The Sky by Garrett M. Graff

Alone At Dawn by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 

 

Chelsey: 

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Here for It by R. Eric Thomas

The Undocumented Americans by Carla Cornejo Villavicencio

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

 

Recommendations of the week:

The Queen's Gambit on Netflix // Book version

The Flight Attendant on HBO Max // Book version

Today we’re talking about BIG books. Books that are 500 pages or more. We’ll share which tomes are on our TBR lists and which ones we’ve read and loved. 

 

To find a list of every title we mention in today’s episode, go to hereadsheread.org/podcast for show notes. 

 

Subscribe to our newsletter: hereadsheread.substack.com

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/hereadsheread/

Get two audiobooks for the price of one w/code HRSR: https://libro.fm/redeem/hrsr

Or give the gift of audiobooks: https://libro.fm/gift?cmp=hrsr

 

 

Curtis:

Three Ring Circus by Jeff Pearlman

Gunslinger by Jeff Pearlman

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (1,008 pages)

Executive Orders by Tom Clancy (1,376 pages)

Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer (1,312 pages)

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin 

The Stand by Stephen King (uncut version = 1,152 pages)

Grant by Ron Chernow (1,104 pages)

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (1,024 pages)

 

Chelsey: 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Emma by Jane Austen

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

These Truths by Jill Lepore

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

 

Recs of the week:

 

Curtis - Nick Offerman Yule Log ASMR

Chelsey - Home Cooking podcast

Today, we’re recommending books to our listeners based on requests they submitted a few weeks ago. Curtis LOVES recording these episodes. We’re ready to fill your TBR and perhaps your shopping cart with books.

 

To find a list of every title we mention in today’s episode, go to hereadsheread.org/podcast for show notes. 

Subscribe to our newsletter: hereadsheread.substack.com

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/hereadsheread/

Get two audiobooks for the price of one w/code HRSR: https://libro.fm/redeem/hrsr

Or give the gift of audiobooks: https://libro.fm/gift?cmp=hrsr

Sarah:

Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

The Alice Network or The Huntress by Kate Quinn

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makai

The Road by Cormac McCarthy 

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

 

Katie:

The Poet X or Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Billy Collins

Langston Hughes

Nikki Giovanni

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

 

Christine:

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires by Shomari Wills

Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley

Be Free Or Die by Cate Lineberry

 

Joslyn:

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 

The Dry by Jane Harper

 

Claire:

Penguin Vitae series or Penguin Clothbound Classics

Scribe by Alyson Hagy

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Sabrina & Corina by Kali Farjado-Anstine

 

Carly:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

 

Emma:

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (Century trilogy)

Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (First Law trilogy)

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan