Well hello there, happy Saturday!

It’s finally OCTOBER, which is my very favorite non-summer month … fall colors, fall temps, MY BIRTHDAY MONTH, and officially time for all things pumpkin. I’m not a PSL fan, but I’m down for almost anything else with pumpkin.

Today we’re in Madison again for a fun family event ~ we’re making the most of the months we can drive without fear of snow and ice!

Join me in a seasonal read along!

I mentioned a bit ago that I’m leading a book club at my Pilates studio, but I’ll be reading for YOU too!

On Tuesdays from October 15th - November 10th, I will be sharing weekly reflections and guiding questions via this newsletter for Wintering by Katherine May … leading into our in-person meeting at the studio on November 13th. If you’re local, I hope you can join us in person as well!

We are so grateful that the publisher, Riverhead Books, gifted us with 10 copies of the book for some of our lucky members, and also that our local indie bookstore, Pearl Street Books, is offering a 10% discount for anyone who mentions they are purchasing this title for our book club! Prefer audio? It’s SO GOOD in that format as well!

A Perfect Pairing

There is a certain type of book I know my oldest daughter will love ~ literary, full of science, experimental, female protagonist. These books always push me out of my comfort zone, but in the very best possible way. The two books I am sharing today include our last bookclubbing pick (the book we buy together and read together!) and one of her favorites that I had been avoiding but decided I’d better FINALLY read in the name of being a good mom. I read these back to back.

Under Story by Chloe Benjamin was a superlative-laden reading experience for me ~ most science I have willingly read about in YEARS, most authentically-written Madison book I have ever read, most Antarctica content I have ever read, and finally, one of the most thought-provoking stories I have ever read regarding aging and parenting. My head spun at times while reading, and I can’t begin to say I understood a lot of it, but the story was so good I just let the science spin around me. Loved it. If you know and love Madison, READ THIS!

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy was a tough read for me, and as I dug in I remembered why I had stopped reading it the first time. This book is DARK and holds nothing back regarding the horrors of both climate change and humanity. And just as you think there might be hope, McConaghy crushes you again. Excellent craft, inventive world, emotionally brutal. I know I should read her other books, as my daughter loves them, but I need a break first!

And now, the book I listened to on audio to soothe my troubled mind and soul after all that science and darkness …

Receipts from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham is based on Clapham’s delightful Substack that I read occasionally, and is a journal-style memoir accounting a year’s worth of cozily-mundane and envy-worthy days in the small seaside bookshop she runs with her mother. I listened to this one, and it was a balm to my brain and soul as I worked through and recovered from those tougher books above.

And there you have it, the first newsletter of October! On Tuesday, my supporters will be receiving my roundup of everything else I read this quarter, including my most memorable picks, and I’ll be back for everyone next Saturday. Take care, read lots, and I do hope I’ll have a lot of reader friends joining me with Wintering!