Margin Notes
(Some exciting updates!)
A bit of a roundup today (I promise this won’t become the norm), but there’s exciting stuff to share (bookclub! a giveaway!). I’ll be back next week with an actual piece. Onwards—
Book Club: Kicking Off!
Inspired by your thoughtful comments and reader emails, I’m launching a monthly book club. For now, discussion will live in the comments of a dedicated post, but if there’s interest, we might add a Zoom as well down the line, or potentially a Zoom with the author!
Our first pick—Colton Gentry’s Third Act—is a contemporary romance written by a man (!) about a country singer who’s just blown up his life, and the love that helps him rebuild. I was intrigued by the fact the inestimable Emily Henry blurbed it and also the idea of a straight man writing romance—curious whether his approach would feel different. But what really kept me turning pages quickly was the strength of the prose and the emotional resonance of the story.
A few notes:
The book touches on gun control (thoughtfully!) and substance abuse—just flagging for those who may want a heads up.
It’s backlist! There are currently a few copies on ThriftBooks, and it should be an easy Libby get as well. Obviously also available via all the usual outlets.
We’ll be discussing in comments on August 26.
I’ll aim to alternate between backlist and debut titles to keep things fresh and accessible.
Love Letter From: Kate Hash
There are plenty of author interviews online, but most read like celebrity profiles. I’ll admit I devour every piece about what’s in an author’s tote bag—but I always wish someone would ask a bit more about craft.
So I’m introducing a new series: Love Letter From—columns written by authors with an emphasis on process, technique, and creative evolution. I hope they’ll be fun—but also that you’ll come away with a fresh perspective, or having learned something.
We’re kicking off with
, whose debut Gracie Harris is Under Construction came out this week—and totally floored me. Kate’s column will be up next week. (And going forward, I may invite authors to join us in the comments of these Q&As too.)Reader Hangout: Heavy Hitter
A few readers mentioned they read Heavy Hitter and would love to talk about it. If that’s you—I’ll tee up a comment thread under this post. Please hop in–I can’t wait to see what you all thought! As always, if you aren’t a Substack app user and want to share thoughts, just hit reply to this note!
Recent Reads:
Gracie Harris is Under Construction by
- mentioned above, but worth repeating: this one’s fun, moving, and so full of heart. Gracie kicks off her journey with a Modern Love submission and, as a result, the novel features a few essays throughout. It’s one of the most inventive structural choices I’ve seen in recent memory.- ’s debut is sharp, funny, and wildly alive. I adored Edie, and the Bachelor-style setting is the perfect stage for Gunn’s smart, socially observant voice. (I’m considering this one for book club too.)
Under Your Spell by Laura Wood - Recommended by
and I read it in a single day. Dry British humor, a slightly chaotic heroine, and a famous-person romance. Hits all my buttons.
Little Loves—a few recent joys:
For reasons I can’t explain, the shoes I’ve worn to nearly every social event this summer—the ones I (regretfully) admit are worth full price—are somehow 40% off on Amazon right now, despite not being marked down anywhere else.
This recipe from the inimitable
tasted like summer on a plate—and somehow convinced my 3-year-old that Dover Sole is his new favorite food. It’s paywalled (and worth every penny of the subscription), but the gist is: pan-fried Dover Sole topped with a burst cherry tomato sauce.
**Also: I have three Caro Chambers subscriptions to give away! I’ll drop them in Substack Chat later today.Maybe I’m just getting old, but truly: hanging a long shoehorn by both the front and back doors has made putting on shoes approximately 1000% more pleasant. We have this one, but I suspect any long wooden version would do the trick.
This picture book series from
is funny, warm, and features perhaps the most expansive vocabulary I’ve ever seen in a modern children’s book. Truly outstanding. I remain baffled that it’s not more widely known. Please help fix that.Chime in if you have any recent little loves of your own.
Giveaway:
Finally, as a thank you to you all, my wonderful community, I’ll be giving away an ARC or a Finished copy each week. This week’s winner is the lovely
who always shows up in the comments with a smart take. Linda–respond to this note to pick your prize!A quick note: Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you use them, I may earn a small commission—at no cost to you. It helps me keep most of my content in front of the paywall. Thank you for supporting this work!
HEAVY HITTER. Anyone with thoughts - sound off below!
Great pick - I’ve already read it but Colton Gentry’s Third Act was one of my highlights of 2025. Easy 5 stars from me. Everyone enjoy!!!