The Slow Readers Society

Welcome back to The Slow Readers Society! This is my cosy little corner of the internet for people who refuse to rush their books or their lives.In this episode, I’m catching you up after a few weeks of being ill, talking about slowly getting back into reading, continuing my Shadowhunter journey and sharing a recent second-hand book haul filled with “essential reads” and modern classics.I’m also taking you with me on a literary trip to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the stately home often associated with Pemberley from Pride and Prejudice. From the Cavendish family’s centuries-long love of literature to the library’s rare books and manuscripts, I explore why places like Chatsworth feel so magical to readers.Then, of course, I open this week’s applications to the Society and recommend books for three wonderfully different readers:* Hero, a mythology and philosophy-loving annotator* Melina, a thoughtful international literary fiction reader* Martina, a fantasy and dark romantasy mood reader wanting to step into horrorBooks mentioned include:A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth OzekiElektra by Jennifer SaintThe Penelopiad by Margaret AtwoodThe House of the Spirits by Isabel AllendeDrive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga TokarczukThe Days of Abandonment by Elena FerranteMexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaNettle & Bone by T. KingfisherOne Dark Window by Rachel GilligPut the kettle on, get comfortable and welcome back to the Society.InstagramTikTok Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe

Hey everyone! Welcome to another cosy episode of the Slow Readers Society. In this episode, we explore what it means to be a slow reader and how you can join our lovely community. We have a chat about my reading life at the moment (I am working my way through a HUGE book series) and I also share some heartwarming reader application stories and offer tailored book recommendations.Here’s a list of the books we mentioned in this episode:* The Night Circus* A Discovery of Witches* Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell* Remarkably Bright Creatures* Tom Lake* Prodigal Summer* If We Were Villains* Our Wives Under the Sea* The Essex SerpentI hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed making it. Keep sharing your stories and setups, and let’s continue to grow this wonderful community together!Connect with MeInstagramTikTokSubstackHappy reading, everyone! Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 1: Welcome to The Slow Readers SocietyWelcome to the very first episode of The Slow Readers Society Podcast! This is a cosy, community-led book podcast where readers write in, share their reading lives, and receive thoughtful, personalised book recommendations.In this first episode, I’m introducing the podcast, what The Slow Readers Society stands for, and welcoming in the very first applicants to the society. We hear from three readers with very different reading lives and tastes, and together we explore the kinds of books that might suit them best.If you’ve ever felt like you read too slowly, too messily, too moodily, or just not quite the “right” way, this is for you.In this episodeI introduce The Slow Readers Society PodcastWe talk about what it means to build a softer, slower, more joyful reading lifeI read the first three applications to join the societyI recommend books for each new member based on their reading taste and personalityFollow meInstagram: @thekennystoryTikTok: @thekennystoryBooks mentionedBooks already loved by this week’s applicantsI Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline HarpmanRed Rising by Pierce BrownShuggie Bain by Douglas StuartHeart Lamp by Banu MushtaqMartyr! by Kaveh AkbarMother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati RoyHeart the Lover by Lily KingTalking at Night by Claire DaverleyThe Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiThe Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienGoodnight Mister Tom by Michelle MagorianHarry Potter by J.K. RowlingRecommended in this episodePiranesi by Susanna ClarkeStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelThe Wall by Marlen HaushoferBrotherless Night by V. V. GaneshananthanHamnet by Maggie O’FarrellCirce by Madeline MillerStill Life by Sarah WinmanThe Offing by Benjamin MyersBabel by R. F. KuangJoin The Slow Readers SocietyIf you’d like to apply to join The Slow Readers Society and be featured in a future episode, drop me your application on Instagram or TikTok!Thank you for being here for the very first meeting of The Slow Readers Society. Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe