when writing fails me, reading scoops me up
your 2024 gentle book club reading list is HERE | celebrating female authors on Substack
(Note to our authors chosen for this next twelve months: thank you for your words. There is no expectation for you to be involved in this gentle book club; it is enough for you to just know you have been handpicked by someone who cherishes what you have to say. Either me(!) or one of our other readers in this new quiet community).
I can feel myself shifting. Shifting into a season of absorbing, gently and consciously, the words of others. So tightly-wound I am currently, unable to create my own sentences (for sharing, at least) I am instead wading into a sea of softly lapping waves of words; words of women I know, and those I am yet to know. A curiosity and a longing for spaciousness as never before. A time for movement; the sweat of a long run and the strength of a deep yoga practice. A time for art and music, scrawled journal pages accompanied by soft soundtracks. A time for outside, rather than laptop-squared, indoor-dried eyes. For beach walks and seashell hunting, Sunday roasts and gardening, for bathing in too-cold waters and shrieking with both the delight and the horror. The endless churn of my too-busy days, slowing, somehow. Somehow. Something is on the horizon though I don’t yet know what. Something is coming that will crave space. This space can be carved. This space can be cushioned and cocooned by other women’s words. I need this. You may need this too. If so, you’re so welcome.
Only three weeks ago, I had the stirrings of an idea. A rehashing of sorts, as I already guided a similar project in 2019 via a Facebook (“who?”) group. It was received well then, and now, even more softly, it’s back.
Our very own ‘Writing Around The Edges’ gentle book club will run seasonally throughout the next year and will be paced oh-so-slowly, to accommodate all of our overly busy yet beautiful lives.
The nominations for our first year of books have been made. Our final reading list for 2024/25 has been drafted. It’s below, but before you peek, here is my original post (with its 5,000+ views!) to serve as a reminder:
My wish is that we can lift female authors who also write here on Substack. Read their carefully penned words. Find joy in their quietly life-changing books that encourage us to think widely, write eloquently and live creatively.
Criteria for our book choices:
written by female authors who also write on Substack (particularly newer authors, those not yet with huge platforms, those from under-represented backgrounds, or independently published/smaller publishers)
fiction, memoir, poetry, short stories and nonfiction - let’s enjoy them all
slowly, gently, seasonally paced
all eight choices mapped out for the next twelve months, now, making it beautifully set-out for you to plan your reading
exquisitely written, inspiring for our own creative practice, food for our own creativity and writing
each choice to be read independently by us throughout each six week season. No Zooms, nowhere to be, read when and where you like
stay in touch throughout the year on Substack Notes (feel free to tag me @
so that I can restack your thoughts and photos, as well as tagging the author you’re reading)
…and that’s it. Simple.
our 2024/25 reading list for ‘the gentle book club’:
Our list of chosen books is below. You can now slowly, deliciously, add the suggested reading dates to your diary. You can subscribe to each of the authors on Substack. You can go crazy with coloured pencils in journals and tabs in index cards and digital sticky notes in online calendars. You can work out which titles you will buy, which you will borrow, which you will download as an audiobook, which you will ask for as a birthday present. It doesn’t matter. As slow readers, the choice is yours. And you are very welcome to take your sweet time over it.
The work is done. Now to enjoy. A cross section of my own TBR pile, all of your wonderful nominations (around 250 at last count), the female authors that I adore on Substack and my own intuition have gone into the stirring pot to choose with care and consideration the books this group needs to read/listen to, over this next year. A cross section too of narrative nonfiction, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, short stories and a novel. What fun.
Here goes:
book one - ‘Weathering’ by Ruth Allen - 28th March to 30th April 2024 (narrative nonfiction)
Our first choice, setting the tone beautifully, though expectation high, ‘Weathering’ is released on 28th March 2024 - the very date of our year-long journey together.
As a rule we will each be gathering our own copies of the eight books for the year, reading them seasonally, dipping in and out of the gentle book club as life necessitates, and absolutely *not* meeting on Zoom. However, the fabulous Ruth is gifting us her time for a highly informal and friendly Q+A to get our year started, and it’s just for us. Ruth is hosting us on Monday 22nd April at 7pm UK time and is very happy to take your questions about all things ‘Weathering’, on the night. Do check your timezone, pop it in your diary and come prepared to ask Ruth anything you like about this, her second book. I’ll be there too, in the background, waving excitedly from my driftwood cabin and ready to soak up Ruth’s words. What a treat.
Here’s the Zoom details:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82495446461?pwd=c3hFdVRiWmRLbnFLOFZQZVduUXk4QT09
Meeting ID: 824 9544 6461
Passcode: 757930
We will enjoy reading ‘Weathering’ as our first gentle book club choice, from the end of March into the whole of April.
book two - ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come’ by Jess Pan - 1st May to 19th June 2024 (memoir)
Now, I’ve cheated here slightly because I’ve already read this book. Of course I have. It’s marvellous. (Actually, I listened, it’s fantastic on audiobook). And like Jess’ favourite pastry, the humble croissant, it’s too good not to share. Both hilarious and highly useful, ‘Sorry I’m Late’ will accompany our gentle book club through the whole of May and first half of June.
book three - ‘'Wound Is The Origin Of Wonder'’ by Maya C Popa - 20th June to 31st July 2024 (poetry)
Maya received several nominations as a potential gentle book club read and I couldn’t be more pleased. Our first of two poetry collections chosen for this year of the gentle book club to enjoy, slowly and deliciously, together, ‘Wound’ will be a good friend to us through the end of June and whole of July.
book four - ‘Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love’ by Huma Qureshi - 1st August to 21st September (short stories)
This has been on my TBR list for way too long. Let’s sort that out by firmly adding it to our gentle book club, and also ensuring we have a collection of short stories, quite rightly, in our hands over the coming year. ‘Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love’ slots nicely into place as our gentle book club read for August to mid-September.
book five - 'Kokoro' by Beth Kempton - 22nd September to 30th October 2024 (narrative nonfiction)
Beth has been of such support to me since I first discovered her words in 2019. Her work/family ethic is admirable, her writing is beautiful yet uncomplicated, emotional yet practical, and her courses are life-changing. Although Beth is no newbie to writing books (Kokoro makes six in six years) I believe in cheerleading those who have made a true difference to others. Plus, if you pre-order Kokoro - release date 4th April so be quick! - you can enjoy Beth’s upcoming writing course ‘Spring Light’ for free.
This new book will undoubtedly be a diamond and will take us through from mid-September to the end of October.
book six - ‘'bone'’ by Yrsa Daley-Ward - 31st October to 20th December 2024 (poetry)
Moving into the shadowy end of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, this sixth gentle book club choice, penned by poet, model and actor Yrsa, will accompany us with words of darkness, depth, beauty and grace. Our second poetry pick of our year of eight books and one to take with all tenderness granted.
book seven - ‘Rest and Calm’ by Paula Hines - 21st December 2024 to 31st January 2025 (nonfiction)
As a passionate advocate for calm myself, and a yoga teacher, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this book with you. Whether you yoga or not, it won’t matter. Soak up the peaceful, earthy vibes Paula offers and find some downtime over the festive period as we move through December and into January.
book eight -‘Insatiable’ by Daisy Buchanan - 1st February to 18th March 2025 (fiction)
Rounding out this first reading year together of the gentle book club, February into March 2025, is one of my favourite podcasters and creative confidence coaches, Daisy Buchanan. I’ve never read her novels, so let’s go in with a bang (so to speak). ‘Insatiable’ is going to be as juicy as the front cover and title, I’m sure, so make sure you’ve a cold shower nearby.
I’m taking a short break with some holiday booked from 24th March to 14th April, while I make a little room for family fun, novel drafting and other projects that don't involve too much screen time.
Soon after I’ll be back on Substack Notes, so please do tag me (@luisaskinner) as well as the author you’re currently reading from our list, with any delightful photos or thoughts as you read. And I very much look forward to waving excitedly at you during Ruth’s Zoom Q+A on our first book ‘Weathering’ on 22nd April *7pm UK time* (link above). See you there.
Stroll gently, my loves,
x Luisa
P.S for friends and readers outside of the UK, try Waterstones, or Blackwell's, for international shipping. Do remember your local libraries too :) as well as the utter joy of audiobooks ♡
I missed this thread. Was the call recorded. I some how thought weathering was for May. 🤪I’m loving it but slow is my reading life lately. I’ll order the next one today and read both. Thanks
Found you via Beth Kempton's River of Words course, Louisa. Just ordered Jess's book and will make a gentle start on it in bed tonight. Thank you for this lovely space.